Why Did Dr. Roxy Lose Her Medical License?

Dr. Roxy lost her medical license because the State Medical Board of Ohio found that plastic surgeon Katharine Roxanne Grawe endangered patients by livestreaming surgeries on TikTok while she operated, and the board voted on July 12, 2023, to permanently revoke her license and fine her $4,500.¹ The board concluded she had prioritized social media performance over patient safety, and the harm to patients was severe.

What the Board Found

The board’s findings went well beyond the fact of filming. It concluded that Grawe violated minimal standards of care, demonstrated an extreme lack of professionalism, and failed to properly delegate authority. Specifically, she performed high-risk procedures in an office setting that was not licensed as an ambulatory surgical facility, maintained inadequate medical records, and delegated surgeries and post-operative care to unqualified staff, including an unlicensed house aide.²

Board vice president Dr. Jonathan Feibel told the board the resulting injuries were “not normal complications” of routine surgery but instead the result of “recklessness and disregard for the rules governing the practice of medicine in Ohio.”³ He urged the board to set a precedent: “I strongly recommend that there never be a Dr. Roxy or patient one, two or three — and protect the people of the state of Ohio from this reckless physician.”⁴

Grawe’s practice, Roxy Plastic Surgery in Powell, Ohio, operated without the ambulatory surgical facility license required by the Ohio Department of Health. The lawful certificate cost just $300.⁵ The penalty for operating without it can reach $250,000, though as of early 2025 no separate ODH enforcement action had been assessed.⁶

The Livestreamed Surgery That Drove the Case

The board’s formal case centered on three patients treated between May 2020 and March 2022. The most serious involved a patient who underwent liposuction of the abdomen and arms along with a Brazilian butt lift on March 21, 2022, with portions of the procedure broadcast on social media. According to the board’s findings, Grawe was looking at and speaking to the camera during what it described as a “blind surgery” requiring constant tactile awareness of the tip of the cannula. She was not monitoring the patient or the instrument’s position.¹

One week later, on March 28, the patient was transferred to a hospital and diagnosed with a perforated small bowel and a necrotizing soft tissue infection, requiring a prolonged hospital stay.¹ CBS News reported the perforated intestine led to severe abdominal infections and loss of brain function from the volume of toxins in the patient’s blood.⁷

Prior Warnings She Ignored

The board did not act without first putting Grawe on notice. She was formally cautioned about her social media use in October 2018 and again in September 2021.¹ After the 2021 caution, the board directed her to complete a remedial ethics course on social media use. She finished the course, then continued livestreaming procedures through at least October 2022.⁸

How the Revocation Happened

On November 18, 2022, the board suspended Grawe’s license on an emergency basis, finding “clear and convincing evidence” that her practice posed a “danger of immediate and serious harm to the public.” A five-day hearing followed in May 2023. At the hearing, Grawe acknowledged that her conduct had been “silly and unprofessional” and promised she would never livestream a surgery again.⁹

On July 12, 2023, following the recommendation of the hearing examiner, the board voted to permanently revoke her license. The motion passed eight to zero, with two members abstaining.²

Patient Harm Reached Beyond the Three Case Patients

At least 11 patients reported severe complications from procedures performed by Grawe, including infections, a perforated intestine, and loss of brain function.¹⁰ Her record of serious complications pre-dated her social media presence.

In October 2012, Mary Jenkins, a 55-year-old cancer survivor, underwent breast reconstruction performed by Grawe at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s. When Jenkins’s right breast swelled after surgery, Grawe ordered leech therapy, which Jenkins said was administered by a friend who had learned the technique through a Google search because hospital staff were untrained in the procedure. The leeches failed. The tissue in her right breast died, leaving a hole in her chest through which her ribs were visible, and she eventually demanded that Grawe remove the reconstructed breast entirely.¹¹

Jenkins sued in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in April 2014. A jury awarded her $358,000 in damages in 2016, and Grawe lost on appeal.¹¹ After the 2023 revocation, Jenkins said: “It will never go away, because every time we look down, we see a scar, and we will always remember.”¹

Where Things Stand Now

Roxy Plastic Surgery is permanently closed, and Grawe’s Ohio medical license is listed as “Closed” with a sub-status of “Permanent Revocation.”¹² On LinkedIn, she lists her occupation as “strategic adviser” and “self-employed.”⁶

A second physician at the practice, Carlos Domingo, surrendered his Ohio medical license on February 14, 2024, after allegations that he had “failed to conform to minimal standards of care of similar practitioners.” Domingo was named as a co-defendant in at least six active civil lawsuits and two closed cases tied to the practice.⁵

As of January 1, 2025, Grawe had been named as a defendant in at least 26 civil lawsuits, with 25 filed in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and one in Delaware County. Eighteen remained open and eight were closed. All but one were professional tort (malpractice) cases; the other was classified as personal injury. As of late December 2024, Grawe had not been criminally charged.⁶

1
NBC News. Ohio Plastic Surgeon Who Livestreamed Parts of Procedures on TikTok Has License Revoked
2
State Medical Board of Ohio. Approved July 2023 Board Minutes
3
The New York Times. Dr. Roxy TikTok Operations Livestream
4
NBC4i. Ohio Medical Board Strips Dr. Roxy of License After TikTok Livestreams
5
Becker’s Physician Leadership. Ohio Physician Who Worked for TikTok Star Surrenders License
6
The Columbus Dispatch. What Happened to Dr. Roxy? Latest on Lawsuits and More
7
CBS News. Ohio Cosmetic Surgeon Known as Dr. Roxy Has License Revoked
8
MedPage Today. Exclusive Report on Dr. Roxy
9
Becker’s Hospital Review. Ohio Medical Board Pulls Physician’s License After TikTok Livestreams
10
MedPage Today. TikTok Doc Loses Medical License After Livestreaming Procedures
11
The Columbus Dispatch. Dr. Roxy Accused of Botching Surgeries Before She Was a TikTok Star
12
Ohio eLicense. License Verification for Katharine Roxanne Grawe