A young woman died Wednesday while undergoing plastic surgery on her breasts in Zhuhai.

The woman, in her 20s, was anesthetized for only 10 minutes when her heart suddenly stopped, said a staff member at the beauty clinic.

The clinic immediately called the 120 first aid center and doctors were sent from the nearby Gongbei hospital. A doctor surnamed Zhang, the first to enter the operating theater, said the woman was already in a deep coma before breast surgery had begun.

The owner said his clinic was qualified to perform plastic surgery with complete facilities and staff.

But a local medical expert who would not give his name said the woman might have reacted to the anesthetic.

The clinic insisted that the girl had a serious heart problem and had failed to inform their staff.

The girl's family members, who were not Zhuhai residents, were on their way to the city while the local health bureau had started an investigation.

Medical experts have warned about the risks of plastic surgery which has become more popular fanned by reports of successful operations.

Hao Lulu, a 25-year-old in Beijing, was widely reported in 2003 as China's first "plastic" beauty.

(Shenzhen Daily January 12, 2004)