Why Megan Espinoza’s Death Was Preventable

Megan Espinoza was a beautiful kindergarten teacher, 36 years old, who had a loving family when she went into surgery for breast augmentation.  Her family, which included her husband and two children, thought they would see her shortly.  Her parents also thought they would see her shortly.  But due to a cosmetic surgeon who refused to call 911 and get emergency help, Megan Espinoza was never able to see her family members again because she died after surgery.

Megan Espinoza had surgery with Dr. Carlos Chacon on December 19, 2018 in Southern San Diego county, CA.  According to medical records, Megan Espinoza required a licensed anesthesiologist to be present during surgery.  Yet, there was no licensed anesthesiologist present during the surgery and anesthesia was given without an anesthesiologist. Nurses injected her with various pain medications including ketamine and fentanyl.

What happened next is inconceivable.  Megan Espinoza’s heart rate increased rapidly.  Then her heart stopped.  That occurred about 1-½ hours after she was injected with pain medications.  But Dr. Chacon did not call 911 and he did not get emergency medical attention for her. Instead, he started CPR and nurses gave her Narcan and other drugs.  She was still not responsive and again, instead of seeking emergency help, Dr Chacon called two anesthesiologists for advice instead.  They told him to call 911.  He did not.  Megan Espinoza was making gurgling noises and had seizure-like activity.

3 hours after Dr. Chacon first performed CPR on Megan Espinoza, he finally called 911.  But it was too late.  She was taken to the hospital and put on life support.  She died several weeks later.  The family has suffered immensely.  Just this summer (2024) the doctor and his nurse were sentenced to prison through a plea deal.  The impact statements from the family were unbearably sad.  It is hard to understand why a doctor and his nurse would risk a patient’s life and leave so many loved ones heartbroken for the rest of their lives.