- A woman in China suffered eye damage after a botched double eyelid surgery in 2020
- The surgeon lacked a medical license and the clinic operated without a business permit
- The woman was declared disabled and faced ongoing health and psychological issues
A woman in eastern China has drawn widespread attention after sharing the long-term consequences of a cosmetic surgery that she says left her unable to fully close her eyes. The case has also led to a lengthy legal dispute involving compensation, social media posts and court rulings, reported the South China Morning Post.
The woman, surnamed Wang, went to a Clinic in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in June 2020 for a double eyelid operation that cost 12,000 yuan (about US$1,800), according to the Shanghai Morning Post. The procedure was reportedly performed by a woman surnamed Meng, who claimed to be the clinic's marketing director.
According to Wang, she experienced severe pain on the evening of the surgery. Her eyelids turned inside out and fluid rapidly built up inside her eyes. She was later taken to a major hospital for emergency treatment.
Wang said that when she contacted Meng about the complications, she was told that she would recover within a few days. However, Wang said Meng later stopped answering her calls.
She further stated that doctors at larger hospitals found that her lacrimal gland had been damaged and that the wrong procedure had been performed on her eyelids. The doctors advised her to undergo additional surgery to correct the problem.
Despite undergoing further treatment, Wang said her eyelids still could not close completely. In 2022, a local forensic appraisal authority classified her eye condition as a grade-nine disability. Authorities later found that Meng did not possess a doctor's qualification certificate. The municipal health authority also determined that Meixi Cosmetic Surgery Clinic did not have a business licence.
The clinic was shut down several months after Wang's operation. Wang said the failed surgery had a significant impact on her life.
She stated that the operation left her with serious health problems and made her feel too ashamed to work or meet other people. She added that she later suffered from depression and insomnia. As a result, Wang decided to take legal action against Meng.
Before the court issued a decision, Meng reportedly sent a lawyer to negotiate with Wang. The two sides eventually reached an agreement under which Wang would receive 850,000 yuan (about US$125,000) in compensation. In return, she agreed to delete all posts related to her surgery and promised not to raise the matter with authorities or the media.
The agreement also stated that if Wang violated these conditions, she would be required to return 400,000 yuan (about US$59,000) to Meng.
According to Wang, she later discovered that Meng had posted videos on social media in which she allegedly insulted Wang and accused Wang's brother of being a swindler. In response, Wang's sister-in-law shared documents online that she said showed Meng had practised medicine illegally. Wang also appeared in several videos in which she spoke about her experience and described what she considered to be Meng's wrongdoing. Meng then filed a lawsuit against Wang, claiming that she had violated the terms of their agreement.
Earlier this year, a court issued its final judgment in favour of Meng. The court ordered Wang to return 400,000 yuan in accordance with the compensation agreement signed by both parties.
