By Alice Yan
A woman in eastern China is seeking one million yuan (US$140,000) in compensation from a cosmetic surgery clinic after a botched procedure left her with a six-centimetre-long scar on her chin.
The woman, identified as Ding, who lives in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, underwent a fat-grafting operation on her face in South Korea several years ago, after which her face became swollen.
She then had facial liposuction surgery at a clinic in Beijing, which slightly relieved the problem, the Yangtze Evening News reports.
At the beginning of this year, Ding saw the Xuzhou Yumei Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Jiangsu advertised.
The company boasted that it had patents for chin repair and promised it could return Ding鈥檚 to its original appearance.
In February, she underwent chin repair surgery at the institute, which cost 20,000 yuan (US$3,000).
However, three days later, her chin developed massive blisters.
A doctor at the clinic told Ding it was normal and sent her some ointment.
The problem worsened, with the wound splitting wider and scabs forming.
When Ding visited the institute days later, a doctor used scissors to cut away the scabs before applying more ointment.
The doctor told Ding to deal with the wound the same way when she got home, assuring her it would heal soon.
Ding followed the advice, but the wound became swollen and festered.
When Ding sent photographs of her chin to the clinic, they claimed it was 鈥渁 normal situation鈥 and urged her to stick to their advice.
After six months, her condition had still not improved.
Ding went to a major hospital in Nanjing where doctors found her wound had become severely infected.
They also told her that the advice the institute had given her was mistaken and dangerous.
Her wound was stitched up and the whole process left a six-centimetre scar.
鈥淭his incident has destroyed my life,鈥 Ding was quoted as saying.
She said she was tortured physically and mentally, and as a result, she was forced to close down her company and lay off all her employees. Her boyfriend also broke up with her.
Ding said she dares not look in the mirror and has to wear a face mask when she leaves home. She also suffers from depression.
She reported her case to the health supervision authority in Xuzhou, which is investigating.
Ding is seeking one million yuan from the Xuzhou Yumei Cosmetic Surgery Institute.