Several years after a man died in Paris during a penis enlargement procedure, a French court this week handed down a dramatic verdict: suspended prison sentences and heavy fines for two plastic surgeons involved in the treatment. Both were permanently barred from practicing medicine after the court found their professional failures were directly linked to his death.
The man, 65 at the time of his death, collapsed and died of cardiac arrest during a penis enlargement treatment at the upscale Saint-Honoré-Ponthieu aesthetic clinic in central Paris. According to reports in European media, he underwent the procedure there regularly, between two and four times a year, at a cost of tens of thousands of euros per treatment, often outside the clinic’s regular operating hours.
‘It wasn’t the injection that killed him, but flawed care’
According to the investigation’s findings and testimony in court, emergency services were first called to the clinic around 8 p.m. after the patient complained of abdominal pain. Despite that, he insisted on continuing the procedure. Only about two hours later, at 10 p.m., emergency teams were called again after the patient suffered a fatal heart attack. The senior doctor attempted resuscitation, but it failed. An autopsy determined the cause of death was cardiac hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart muscle.
Investigators found substances in the patient’s hotel room that are banned in France, along with vasodilator medications sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Early in the investigation, authorities ruled out the injections themselves as the direct cause of death. According to Le Parisien, the central question was why medical staff failed to respond appropriately after the first emergency call, allowing the procedure to continue for another two hours.
The court ultimately ruled that “it was not the injection into the penis that caused the death, but serious medical errors committed by the doctors during treatment.”
The proceedings uncovered extensive irregularities at the clinic. The assisting physician present during the procedure was not registered with the French medical association, despite having worked in France for more than 20 years. Her medical credentials from Algeria were not recognized. According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, the clinic’s director was also operating without valid medical authorization.
The Paris court sentenced the lead surgeon to 15 months in prison, suspended, and fined him 50,000 euros. The assisting physician received a 12-month suspended sentence and a 20,000-euro fine. Both were permanently barred from practicing plastic surgery. The convictions included charges of failure to assist a person in danger, drug offenses and practicing medicine without a license.
Medical experts warn of risks
Dr. Valentin Shabataev, head of the neuro-urology and sexual function unit at Rambam Health Care Campus, emphasized that complaints about penis size require careful medical assessment.
“It is essential to distinguish between aesthetic concerns and functional problems,” he said. “In many cases, patients feel dissatisfied with size in a flaccid state, while erectile function is normal. This is often a psychological issue, not a medical one.”
He added that even when functional problems exist, invasive procedures are not always appropriate, especially in older patients or those with underlying health conditions.
Dr. Meir Cohen, chairman of the Israeli Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said that while local complications such as bleeding or infection are generally rare, severe outcomes are usually linked to anesthesia rather than the procedure itself.
“Deaths are extremely uncommon and are typically related to anesthesia risks or dangerous drug interactions,” he said, stressing the importance of thorough medical screening and verifying a doctor’s credentials and experience.
First published: 14:16, 02.02.26