Anesthesiologist Charged

Patient (55) Dies After Anesthesia at the Dentist

The prosecutor argues that a dentist’s chair (illustrative image) is not suitable for general anesthesia. The accused specialist (right) in anesthesiology claims the opposite in court.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Sophie Pratschner, andreave89 - stock.adobe.com)

The 55-year-old woman from Vienna was scheduled to undergo jaw surgery and never woke up. According to the indictment, the anesthesiologist made serious errors. At the Vienna Regional Court, he denied any fault on his part but apologized to the relatives of the deceased patient.

“The patient chose anesthesia because she was afraid of the procedure,” the anesthesiologist recalls. It was a decision that would cost the 55-year-old her life. That is why the specialist is on trial at the Vienna Regional Court. The prosecution alleges that on October 2, 2024, he violated his duty of medical care in several respects—and thereby caused the woman’s death through gross negligence at a dental office.

Complications Right from the Start 
It was a complicated jaw surgery. “I administered the anesthesia strictly in accordance with the regulations,” says the defendant. Then: “A technical malfunction occurred that I could not possibly have foreseen.” The bag on the ventilator came off; the patient’s oxygen saturation dropped briefly. However, it stabilized again after manual mask ventilation.

Defendant: “It was a stressful situation”
The anesthesiologist was able to intubate the 55-year-old through her nose—cardiac arrest. “Just imagine that. You have a device that’s defective and you have to intubate. And shortly afterward, you also have to resuscitate the patient. That was a stressful situation,” he explains to the judge.

The prosecutor argues that a dentist’s chair (illustrative image) is not suitable for general anesthesia. The accused specialist (right) in anesthesiology claims the opposite in court.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Sophie Pratschner, andreave89 - stock.adobe.com)

I would like to say that I am terribly sorry for what happened here.

Angeklagter Anästhesist vor Gericht

The mistakes the prosecutor accuses him of: The dental office was not suitable for administering general anesthesia. The victim’s obesity was not taken into account. According to the expert report, the tube was not properly secured in the nose. Furthermore, the accused doctor did not use a defibrillator during resuscitation. “That wouldn’t have changed anything,” he insists. “I’ve thought through every possible scenario since then. Whether things could have gone better.”

Attorney Lukas Kollmann is defending the accused doctor.(Bild: Kanzlei KollmannWolm)

He has come to the conclusion: No—the anesthesiologist does not plead guilty. His defense attorney, Lukas Kollmann, also emphasizes: “When the woman was transported away by the emergency medical team, she was not brain dead. She was alive. What happened afterward cannot be attributed to him.”

Because numerous experts and witnesses need to be heard, a second trial date is required. The case is therefore adjourned.