Ohio Plastic Surgeon Has Medical License Revoked After Livestreaming Surgeries on TikTok
An Ohio plastic surgeon, Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe, also known as “Dr. Roxy” on social media, has had her state medical license permanently revoked by the State Medical Board of Ohio. This decision comes after three patients reported complications following surgeries that were livestreamed on TikTok.
According to Jerica Stewart, spokesperson for the State Medical Board of Ohio, Grawe “will no longer be able to practice medicine in the state of Ohio.” In addition to revoking her license, the board also fined Grawe $4,500.
The board had previously reprimanded Grawe twice before summarily suspending her medical license in November. In its notification to her, the board stated that her “continued practice presents a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public.”
During the hearing on Wednesday, Grawe addressed the panel and acknowledged that she had “fallen below the board’s ideal in multiple ways.” She explained that she made social media videos to educate and explain cosmetic surgery to people outside of the medical field. However, she admitted that many of her videos appeared “silly and unprofessional.”
The board had previously warned Grawe about maintaining patient privacy when sharing photos or videos of medical procedures on social media. In a letter dated September 28, 2021, the board outlined additional concerns, including the lack of informed consent, ethical concerns related to privacy and social media, and avoidable complications that required surgical revision.
During her testimony, Grawe denied that her social media name, “Dr. Roxy,” influenced her decisions about patient care. She stated that she always prioritized patient safety and that the optics of her social media presence may have given the wrong impression.
Grawe testified that she interacted with TikTok users who posted questions during the surgeries, with someone else in the room recording and reading the questions while she responded. She claimed that her intention was to educate and show the surgeries to people.
According to the medical board’s report, Grawe performed medical procedures on approximately 5,500 patients in the last five years, with two to five surgeries per day. She primarily focused on surgeries involving the breasts, abdomen, thighs, arms, and buttocks, including the Brazilian butt lift procedure.
Grawe obtained her medical degree in 2005 from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and became certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2014.
CNN has reached out to an attorney representing Grawe for comment on the matter.
CNN’s Sharif Paget and Jennifer Feldman contributed to this report.
What provisions of the Medical Practices Act did Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe violate with her livestreaming surgeries on TikTok?
Ring, the board reviewed evidence that showed Grawe livestreaming surgeries on the popular social media platform TikTok. In these videos, Grawe discussed details of the procedures, showed the surgical site, and even danced and sang while operating on patients.
The livestreams quickly gained attention and attracted a large following on TikTok. However, three patients reported complications following surgeries that were livestreamed by Grawe. These complications included infections, scarring, and poor surgical outcomes.
The State Medical Board of Ohio determined that Grawe’s actions violated several provisions of the Medical Practices Act, including practicing medicine without reasonable skill and safety. The board also found that Grawe failed to obtain proper consent from the patients to be filmed and livestreamed.
“Patient safety and privacy are of utmost importance,” said Stewart. “Livestreaming surgeries on social media platforms raises serious ethical concerns and is completely unacceptable.”
Grawe’s attorney, Jonathan Goodman, argued that his client’s actions were intended to educate and inspire others. He claimed that Grawe never intended to harm her patients and that she had obtained consent from them to be filmed.
However, the Ohio Medical Board disagreed, stating that Grawe’s actions were reckless and put her patients at risk. They emphasized that livestreaming surgeries on social media without proper consent is a violation of patient privacy and trust.
This is not the first time a medical professional has faced consequences for inappropriate use of social media. Just earlier this year, a California plastic surgeon had his medical license suspended after posting videos of himself dancing in the operating room during surgery.
The case of Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe serves as a reminder to medical professionals of the importance of ethical standards and patient safety. Social media can be a valuable tool for education and connecting with patients, but it must be used responsibly and in accordance with medical guidelines and regulations.
This article highlights the unethical behavior of an Ohio plastic surgeon who chose to prioritize TikTok fame over patient care. It’s disturbing to see a medical professional exploiting their job for entertainment. I hope this serves as a reminder for the importance of professionalism and ethics in the medical field.