A Plastic Surgeon Operated On His Wife. Now He’s Been Arrested for Manslaughter
“Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that is administered by IV and used to numb pain by blocking nerve endings. It does not cause unconsciousness. “Lidocaine toxicity means that there is too much lidocaine in the blood system,” explains board-certified plastic surgeon Melissa Doft, MD, who practices in New York City. “It results in toxicity to the neurological and cardiovascular systems.” According to Dr. Doft, signs of potential lidocaine toxicity include bradycardia (slow heart rate); low blood pressure; depressed myocardial contractility, or inability for the heart to contract properly; and depressed conduction through the cardiac conduction system, “which can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death.” However, Dr. Doft notes that lidocaine toxicity is not always fatal.”