Ohio Plastic Surgeon Loses License for Livestreaming Surgeries on TikTok

An Ohio plastic surgeon had her medical license permanently revoked on Wednesday after livestreaming surgeries on TikTok, according to records with the State Medical Board of Ohio.

The board's decision to revoke Katharine Grawe's license comes eight months after the group issued a citation "cautioning the doctor to maintain patient privacy when sharing photos and videos via social media," the board records say.

A suspension order issued to her in November says her continued practice "presents a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public." The revocation permanently bans Grawe from practicing medicine in the state of Ohio. Grawe livestreamed parts of her procedures on her TikTok account, where she went by "Doctor Roxy," board documents say.

On the social media platform, which is now set to private, she had 825,000 followers. Additionally, three patients accused her of botching their surgeries, saying they needed to get intense medical care afterward. One of them said she had bacterial infections, a damaged abdomen, and loss of brain function, according to documents released by the board.

A part of her procedures had been posted to TikTok. Grawe sometimes spoke into a camera and answered viewed questions while performing surgery on her patients.

Grawe's license had initially been issued in 2009. She has been issued a $4,500 fine "based on her failure to meet the standard of care," the board's spokesperson told The Messenger in a statement.

"It is the responsibility of the State Medical Board of Ohio to protect the public through the regulation of licensed medical practitioners," the board said in its statement. "The board accepts this responsibility and carefully reviews all presented evidence before making a formal decision."

Grawe, on Wednesday, gave a statement to the board, saying she "did silly or fun videos simply to make people smile in this world, which is often negative and difficult to navigate," according to a WCMH report.

An attorney for Grawe did not immediately return The Messenger's request for comment.