Patient smelled flesh burning from Myrtle Beach skin treatment, lawsuit says
A patient claims that a skin treatment center left her with severe burns after a laser procedure was conducted by an employee without training, according to a medical malpractice lawsuit filed Tuesday in Horry County.
Karen Bellamy underwent an ablative skin rejuvenation procedure using a laser machine on June 22, 2022, with Stark Skin Rx LLC. The procedure targeted her chest, neck, upper torso and arms, but was conducted by cosmetologist Anissa Stark, who did not have “proper training” to practice the procedure, the lawsuit says.
Bellamy is suing Rohrer Aesthetics Inc., the manufacturer of the laser; Anissa Stark; Stark Skin Rx LLC; Dr. Dean Smith, one of the owners of Stark Skin and Stark’s supervisor; and Myrtle Beach Family Medicine, Stark’s practice.
Stark did not respond immediately to a message requesting comment on Wednesday, and Myrtle Beach Family Medicine declined to comment.
The day before the procedure, Rohrer Aesthetics spoke with Stark about the use of the laser device, but did not provide her with significant training, according to the lawsuit. During Bellamy’s treatment, Stark was in contact with Rohrer Aesthetics attempting to verify appropriate settings for the device, the lawsuit continues.
Stark told Bellamy that she had used a setting on the device not recommended by Rohrer Aesthetics for the treatment of the areas on Bellamy’s body being targeted, according to the lawsuit.
That evening, Bellamy “became alarmed at the white appearance of her arm, discomfort, and the smell of burning flesh,” the lawsuit states. Stark assured Bellamy repeatedly that this was normal, which delayed her seeking treatment, the lawsuit claims.
Two days later, Bellamy went to Grand Strand Medical Center as a Level 2 Trauma patient for “first-degree burns to her chest, right upper extremity, and neck,” the lawsuit says. She also suffered second-degree burns to the left side of her body, according to the lawsuit.
Because of the severity of her condition, Bellamy was transported via emergency medical transport to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where she was admitted to the burn treatment center, the lawsuit states. There, she was “forced to undergo significant treatment and debridement surgeries,” and remained admitted for an additional four days for treatment, infection control and mental health stabilization, the lawsuit says.
After being discharged on June 28, 2022, Bellamy underwent additional laser treatments at MUSC to correct scarring, and is continuing treatments for scarring, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit claims that because of the negligence of the defendants, Bellamy accrued medical bills, suffered pain and permanent disfigurement and underwent mental anguish. She is seeking damages for these outcomes.
