MOH & Police Now Investigating 32-YO Lady Who Passed Away After Botox Treatment

Evident in movies like Gangnam Beauty and 200 Pounds Beauty, most of us crave to be the best versions we can ever be; like how I constantly crave roti prata right before going to bed every day.

They say beauty comes with a price. But how far are you willing to go for a shot at looking better than ever?

How much are you willing to pay for it?

With thousands of dollars? Millions?

Your life?

Extreme, but that’s exactly what happened to Ms Lau Li Ting.

Botox treatment gone wrong

Ms Lau was a property agent prior to her death and according to TNP, she passed away 5 days after getting her botox treatment on 13 March 2019 at an aesthetic clinic in Marina Bay.

Lianhe Wanbao reported that she had a sudden seizure and cardiac arrest after completing her botox treatment.

The same doctor that administered the treatment for Ms Lau had reportedly attempted to resuscitate her while waiting for the ambulance, but to no avail.

Upon arrival at the Accident and Emergency Department of Singapore General Hospital, the doctor contacted Ms Lau’s family to inform them of what happened.

Unfortunately, doctors in SGH said  that Ms Lau missed the crucial period to be treated by 20 to 30 minutes and had to be put on life support as the shortage of oxygen weakened her heart and brain.

The 32-year-old relied on life support for 5 days before losing the fight on the night of 13 March.

Underlying Condition or?

It has been reported that the doctor at SGH informed Lau’s family that she could’ve had underlying conditions i.e. a heart disease which possibly attributed to her heart failure.

Through an interview with her brother, Michael, it was understood that Ms Lau had visited the same clinic before and her previous experiences at other beauty clinics were problematic.

On 10 March, the Lau family filed a police report before raising the issue to the Health Ministry the following day. As mentioned by Mr Lau, “we just want to know what happened… We just want the truth, for ourselves and for my sister.”

Investigations by both the police and MOH have been in place.

What exactly is Botox?

Medical News Today states that Botox is “used medically to treat certain muscular conditions, and cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing muscles.”

It was also mentioned that Botox is a “powerful poison” made from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium known as Clostridium botulinum.

Apart from treating muscular conditions and removing wrinkles, Botox can be used against excessive sweating and migraines.

Excessive usage of botulinum toxin results in Botulism which results in paralysis from the face down to the legs, and may potentially cause respiratory failure upon reaching the breathing muscles. According to the same article, the absence of treatment often leads to death.

There are various kinds of Botulism but the only one that seems highly likely for Ms Lau’s case is Latrogenic botulism –  an overdose of botulism toxin aka Botox.

To put things into perspective, the article included an illustration: Just 1 gram of botulinum toxin could kill over 1 million people while 2 kilograms could wipe out the entire human population on Earth.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the Ministry of Health have collected medicine samples from the aesthetic clinic patronized by Ms Lau for investigations.

Whether or not it was truly a case of Latrogenic botulism, only time will tell.