April 8, 2004 --
Micheline Charest, the co-founder of the animation company Cinar, has died after she suffered cardiac arrest following a face-lift, breast-lift and liposuction, leaving behind a husband and two teen-aged sons. She was 51.
Ms. Charest, who the Hollywood Reporter once called one of the most powerful women in media, was on a comeback trail after a trying three years when her company was plagued with scandal.
Her death once again points to the dangers involved in plastic surgery: With anaesthetic involved, any surgery is a risk, one that sometimes eager patients don't take into account.
Performing multiple procedures on the body can also increase the risk factor, since it adds more strain to the body and increases the time under anasthesia.
Her death also points to another concern in the field, that of private clinics. In an emergency, it is often the case where the time between moving the patient to emergency care in hospital from a private clinic can mean life and death. This was illustrated in Charest's case, where the hospital was almost next door to the Clinique Notre-Dame, where Ms. Charest had her surgery performed.
Ms. Charest, a marathon runner who once climbed part of Mount Everest, was in excellent shape. However, doctors caution that being in good shape is not a guarantee against complications occuring.
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