Kim Grice was having a routine surgery to remove some growths from her head, when a a flash fire seared Grice's face and neck.
Grice was then rushed to the nearby University of South Alabama Burn Unit, where she suffered severe burns to her face and neck.
When Grice's mother was told about the incident, she was completely shocked.
"This is not what happens with a routine outpatient surgery. She had headaches and the doctor was going to remove three cysts and biopsy them. But something went bad wrong and my daughter is now in a burn unit with burn specialists and I still don't know what happened. No one will tell me why or how this happened to her."
Experts estimate that each year 650 fires flare up in operating rooms around the country, with some patients recovering with scars and emotional damage, while others have died from smoke inhilation and burns.
North Okaloosa Medical Center issued a statement following the incident, saying "The hospital deeply regrets today's event in which a patient sustained burns during a procedure in our ambulatory surgery center," the statement read. "The staff took immediate steps to respond, including moving the patient to the hospital's emergency department. The patient was fully alert and able to converse with the ED staff during the examination and initial treatment."
Source: bossip.com
