Two Paris-based surgeons have been barred from medical practice following the death of Belgian-Israeli diamond magnate, Ehud Arye Laniado, who suffered a fatal heart attack during a cosmetic procedure at the Saint-Honoré Ponthieu clinic.
Court findings revealed that the lead surgeon, identified as Guy H, had treated Laniado several times a year, often during expensive, after-hours cosmetic sessions. On the night of the incident, another surgeon was standing in for him and was also drawn into the case.
A Paris court suspended Guy H’s medical licence and sentenced him to 15 months in prison, while the second surgeon received a 12-month suspended sentence. The court also imposed fines of €50,000 on the lead surgeon and €20,000 on the second practitioner.
Investigators ruled out the cosmetic injection itself as the direct cause of death but raised serious concerns about delays in calling emergency services. Evidence presented in court showed that Laniado had complained of abdominal pain and had a history of ulcers, yet reportedly insisted on proceeding with the procedure. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was attempted after he collapsed, but efforts to revive him failed.
Sources familiar with the case noted that while the circumstances are disturbing, such incidents are not entirely uncommon in high-end cosmetic surgery circles, where the demands of wealthy clients can blur ethical and professional boundaries.
The case has reignited debate in France over medical ethics, patient safety, and the pressures faced by doctors operating in elite cosmetic clinics.
