Woman in Dubai awarded Dh50,000 compensation after botched Botox on her nose

Medical centre and doctor ordered to jointly compensate the patient

Interest in fillers, liposuction and nose jobs has gone up during the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images

A woman's fiancé ended their relationship shortly before the two had planned to get married after a botched Botox procedure at a Dubai medical centre left her with a deformity on her nose, a Dubai court was told.

The woman - whose nationality and age were not disclosed - told judges at the Dubai Civil Court that she also lost her job following the non-surgical procedure which took place on November 21, 2020.

Judges were told the doctor injected her nose with Botox and fillers to adjust its shape.

The following day she returned to the centre complaining of a severe headache and swelling, and she was advised by her physician to use ice packs to reduce the inflammation and numb the pain.

The woman later returned to the centre again when the pain did not subside and was given two injections for the soreness and prescribed some creams.

Two weeks later, she went back to the centre and the centre’s surgeon cleaned the area in question after it turned into a wound.

In the taxi on her way home from the visit, her nose began to bleed heavily and she asked the driver to take her to Rashid Hospital, the city's largest government-run hospital, where she was referred to the emergency unit for treatment.

The woman said that when her fiancé ended their relationship she experienced depression, and she said she had to borrow money to cover rent and other living costs after she lost her job.

The woman filed a case against the physician and the medical centre seeking Dh400,000 in compensation for emotional and physical damages.

Dubai prosecutors referred her for a medical assessment by a committee of physicians from the Dubai Health Authority.

The committee’s report submitted to the court stated that the physician was not familiar with some technical details related to a Botox procedure, including how substances should be dissolved before being injected.

The report also said that tissues in the affected area had died due to the doctor's error, which resulted in the development of tissues around the nose area that formed a visible scar.

On December 15, judges found the centre to be responsible for allowing the procedure to be performed without making sure its staff were well trained and qualified.

They ordered the doctor and the centre to jointly pay the woman Dh50,000 in compensation, in addition to 5 per cent in interest They were also ordered to pay all legal fees.

Judges at the Appeal Court upheld the verdict on April 28.

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Doctors said regular Zoom calls have contributed to increasing demand for cosmetic procedures. Bernadett Szabo / Reuters

The most commonly requested treatments in Dubai are injectables such as Botox, facial and lip fillers and skin resurfacing. Patrick T Fallon / Bloomberg News

Plastic surgery clinics have reported a surge in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nir Elias / Reuters

With the upsurge in exercising at home, clinics said an increasing number of people were seeking help with stubborn areas of fat or excess skin after weight loss. Punit Paranjpe / Reuters

Surgeons in Dubai said Botox and fillers were on-trend in 2020 but saw a decline in non-surgical business like laser hair removal and facials.