Kannada actor Chethana Raj dies after liposuction procedure, family blames hospital

A 21-year-old Kannada small-screen actor died after she underwent a fat-removal surgery in Bengaluru. Chethana Raj was admitted at a private hospital for the liposuction (surgical fat removal) procedure on Monday, May 16. However, on Tuesday, she passed away due to a cardiac arrest, reportedly caused by a complication of the surgery. The hospital has said that late on Monday, fluid began to fill her lungs, and her health took a turn for the worse after that. Chethana’s parents, however, have alleged that negligence on the part of the hospital and doctors caused their daughter’s death. According to reports, Chethana had undergone the surgery without her parents’ knowledge.

Chethana Raj had acted in popular serials such as Geetha, Doresaani, Olavina Nildana and others. She had also acted in Havayaami, a Kannada movie. Her father, Govinda Raj explained that his daughter was admitted to the hospital at 8.30 am on Monday. By the time they got to know about it, the surgery had already started, he said. “By that evening, the lungs were filled with water or fat content and she faced breathing problems. There were no proper facilities in the ICU,” Govinda alleged.

"My daughter died due to the negligence of the hospital. The doctors have conducted surgery without parental consent and without proper equipment," he further alleged. "My daughter was hale and hearty. She was absolutely fine. She had gone to hospital with her friends. Without consulting any family member, she had come for the surgery. I will initiate legal action against the hospital authorities," he said.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that is used to remove fat from certain areas of the body, such as abdomen, hips, thighs, etc. However, the surgery comes with several risks. It can result in complications, including filling up of fluid under the skin, fat embolisms (pieces of fat in the blood that may travel to the brain), kidney and heart problems, and infections.

With IANS inputs