18-Year-Old Suffers Severe Injury After Acid Mistaken for Anesthetic in Tel Aviv Nose Surgery

An 18-year-old woman experienced a serious medical error during preparations for a cosmetic nose surgery at a medical center in Tel Aviv last Friday. Instead of anesthetic, a cloth soaked in acid was mistakenly inserted into her nose. The medical team quickly recognized the error, sedated and intubated her, and she was then transported by Magen David Adom ambulance to Ichilov Hospital. There, she was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Her family filed a police complaint, prompting an official investigation into the incident. The patient's mother described the damage as extensive, stating the acid burned the entire upper respiratory tract down to the vocal cords, causing severe burns. The young woman is currently receiving morphine and antibiotics in the ICU.

Hospital staff have since stabilized her condition, and she is no longer sedated, but she remains hospitalized. Medical teams have yet to determine the full extent of the injuries caused by the mistake.