A Paris court has permanently banned two doctors from practicing plastic surgery after a billionaire client tragically died during a cosmetic procedure.
Ehud Arye Laniado, 65, a Belgian-Israeli diamond tycoon and owner of Omega Diamonds, suffered a fatal heart attack while undergoing a penis enlargement treatment at the Saint Honoré Ponthieu aesthetic clinic. Laniado was a frequent client, reportedly paying tens of thousands of euros for multiple procedures each year.
The lead surgeon, identified as Guy H, had been administering injections meant to enhance the size of the organ. On the night of the incident, Laniado complained of abdominal pain and showed signs of distress. Although a call for medical assistance was made around 8 p.m., emergency services were not contacted until nearly two hours later.
Following his death, authorities launched an investigation, initially considering possible manslaughter. The case later focused on specific charges, including failure to assist a person in danger, drug-related violations, and practicing medicine without proper authorization.
On Wednesday, the court handed down sentences against both doctors. Guy H received 15 months in prison and a permanent ban from practicing medicine. A second surgeon, covering for him at the time, received a 12-month suspended sentence and was also barred from the profession. They were ordered to pay fines of €50,000 and €20,000 respectively.
Investigators determined that the cosmetic injection was not the direct cause of death but criticized the delay in seeking emergency care. The defense argued that Laniado’s symptoms were misleading due to his history of ulcers and that a heart attack was not immediately apparent. His lawyer compared the incident to a random cardiac event in a public place, questioning whether responsibility should fall on the doctor.
The case has sent shockwaves through Paris’ elite cosmetic surgery community. An anonymous practitioner noted that such incidents are not entirely unexpected, saying that high-end cosmetic clinics often operate in ways that push, and sometimes bend, professional boundaries.