After a facelift in Beverly Hills, a woman woke up the next morning and was agitated and delirious. She managed to fight with a nurse, and run from a security guard so she could get to the roof of the building where she was recovering from her surgery. Once she was on the roof of the 15 story building, she sat at the edge of the building with her legs dangling over the edge. She pulled at her hair. She had taken off her hospital gown and was naked, waiting to jump. Trained police officers pleaded with her. An ambulance waited below and the street was blocked off.
I was in Beverly Hills that day in 2014 and the situation will always haunt me. In the end, the woman did jump and died. Flowers and a single orange cone remained at the site for remembrance of this beautiful woman who, according to her family, had acted completely out of character.
The British Medical Journal has written that neuro-behavioral disturbances are common complications of operations. The most serious – postoperative delirium, can last for weeks in some cases, resulting in aggressive behavior, hallucinations, and delusions. The Beverly Hills community is known for its large amount of plastic surgeons and other doctors. Since then, doctors are becoming more aware of possible issues with anesthesia and also the importance of confining patients after surgery. The building where the incident occurred did not have fencing around the roof, and the roof was easily accessible.
I can’t believe it, that is such a sad story. If only she hadn’t been able to get to the roof. She could have been saved if there were enough people around to hold her down and prevent her from getting away. Who knew she would have that kind of reaction after surgery.