NEWS
PARIS COURT STRIPS STAR COSMETIC SURGEON OF LICENCE, JAILS HIM AND BANS ASSISTANT FOR LIFE AFTER BILLIONAIRE DIAMOND TYCOON DIES DURING BOTCHED PENIS ENLARGEMENT PROCEDURE
A Paris court has handed down stiff penalties to two cosmetic surgeons following the death of Belgian-Israeli billionaire diamond dealer, Ehud Arye Laniado, who collapsed and died during a penis enlargement procedure at an upscale aesthetic clinic in the French capital.
Laniado, 65, a prominent diamond magnate and owner of Omega Diamonds, suffered a fatal heart attack while undergoing the cosmetic procedure at the Saint-Honore-Ponthieu aesthetic clinic in Paris. The operation was carried out under the supervision of a high-profile cosmetic surgeon widely known as Guy H, a practitioner reputed for catering to extremely wealthy clients from across the globe.
Court records revealed that Laniado had been a regular client of Guy H, visiting the surgeon between two and four times every year for various procedures that reportedly cost tens of thousands of euros. On the night of the tragic incident, Laniado was operated on outside normal working hours, as was customary for elite clients seeking discretion.
Investigations showed that the billionaire had been receiving injections into his penis to enhance its size and appearance. Shortly after one such injection, Laniado began to feel unwell and later collapsed, never to recover.
French prosecutors initially opened an investigation into possible manslaughter.
However, as inquiries deepened, the case was reclassified to include charges of failing to assist a person in danger, drug-related offences, and practicing medicine without a valid licence.
On Wednesday, a Paris court delivered its verdict, suspending Guy H’s medical licence and sentencing him to 15 months in prison. The second surgeon, who was standing in for Guy H at the time of the procedure, received a 12-month suspended prison sentence.
In addition to their prison terms, both men have been permanently banned from practicing medicine. Guy H was ordered to pay €50,000 (£43,323) in fines, while his colleague must pay €20,000 (£17,329).
According to Le Parisien, investigators focused closely on the timeline of events following Laniado’s collapse.
“When investigators looked into the cause of death, the injection into the penis was quickly ruled out.
“The question remained why the surgeon had made an initial call for help at 8pm, before a second call, this time to the fire department, two hours later,” A source familiar with the case disclosed.
The delay in contacting emergency services became a central issue during the trial, raising concerns about whether faster intervention could have saved the billionaire’s life.
The defendants reportedly argued that the first call was made because Laniado was behaving irritably and insisting on receiving the injections despite complaining of abdominal pain.
Addressing this claim, the source added:
“It’s easy to say in hindsight that the heart attack started there, but since the patient had an ulcer, it was impossible to consider a heart problem, and emergency services wouldn’t have been called out for such a minor issue.”
During the medical emergency, Guy H attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but the effort failed to revive Laniado.
Defending his client, Guy H’s lawyer, Martin Reynaud, insisted that the tragedy could have happened anywhere and was not necessarily linked to the procedure.
“This cardiac incident could have happened anywhere, even in a pizzeria. Would the pizza maker have been prosecuted in that case?,” he said.
Despite the defense, the court concluded that both surgeons showed serious professional misconduct, particularly in their failure to promptly summon emergency responders.
Meanwhile, an unnamed Paris-based medical practitioner told reporters that the scandal did not come as a shock within elite cosmetic surgery circles.
“This will still cause a stir in a clinic that relies on its name, its techniques, and where the entire family works. But this affair will surprise no one; in these upper echelons of cosmetic surgery, they often bend the rules,” The practitioner stated.
The case has reignited debate in France about regulation, oversight, and ethical standards in high-end cosmetic surgery, especially in clinics catering to ultra-wealthy clients seeking discretion, speed, and unconventional procedures.
Authorities say the ruling sends a strong warning that no medical professional, regardless of status or clientele, is above the law.