Dr Roxy: 5 things we learned from the podcast on the TikTok famous doctor
In the five months since Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe was stripped of her medical license, more has come out about the plastic surgeon who became internet famous for live-streaming operations.
Following Grawe's downfall, The Dispatch delved deeper into her backstory and career with its podcast "Roxy: Rise and Fall of the TikTok Doc." The podcast, which debuted Dec. 11, chronicled Grawe's early days as a resident through her peak as a TikTok star and her eventual undoing.
In the process, the podcast unearthed several details about Grawe's education, her early days as a plastic surgeon and the patients she operated on.
Here are five things we learned from the podcast's original episodes and our follow-up episode.
How did 'Dr. Roxy' come to the Columbus area?
Grawe's arrival in central Ohio was decades in the making.
She was born in San Diego, California, in 1978 and eventually left the West Coast to attend college and medical school in Texas. Grawe earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and then graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, according to medical board records and her LinkedIn profile.
She came to Ohio through her medical residency at Ohio State University.
After Grawe completed her residency in 2010, she stayed in the Columbus area. She opened Roxy Plastic Surgery in 2012, according to records from the State Medical Board of Ohio.
What did 'Dr. Roxy' do before opening her practice?
Grawe worked for Mount Carmel Health before striking out on her own. Her LinkedIn profile says she served as the health system's medical director of breast services.
Some of Grawe's patients who spoke to The Dispatch said they underwent their operations at Mount Carmel St. Ann's. Mount Carmel rescinded her hospital privileges once her license was suspended in November 2022.
During her medical residency, Grawe worked under Susan Vasko, a local plastic surgeon in private practice. Vasko told The Dispatch she was shocked when news broke about Grawe.
"It's just a sad situation because she was a very talented surgeon, a good person, and an intelligent surgeon," Vasko said about her time working with Grawe more than a decade ago.
Was 'Dr. Roxy' accused of botched surgeries before she was TikTok famous?
The short answer is yes.
Mary Jenkins, a former patient who underwent breast reconstruction by Grawe in 2012, filed a malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon in April 2014. Jenkins eventually won her lawsuit and was awarded $358,000 in damages.
But Jenkins isn't the only person to accuse Grawe of botching a procedure.
Beth Benadum, another patient who spoke to The Dispatch, said she suffered from multiple infections following a double breast reconstruction by the surgeon in 2014. Benadum said she had to undergo 10 operations in 21 months to correct what she said were Grawe's mistakes.
There is also a support group on Facebook with more than 2,500 members, some of whom claim they suffered severe complications from surgeries by Grawe.
Did social media cause the plastic surgeon's downfall?
In a roundabout way, social media may have contributed to the doctor being stripped of her medical license.
The medical board built its case against Grawe by using the outcomes of three of her patients.
A woman described in medical board records as "Patient 1" underwent liposuction, a Brazilian butt lift and a Renuvion J-plasma (skin-tightening) procedure, portions of which were broadcast on social media in 2022. Grawe performed liposuction while looking at the camera and speaking to it, according to medical board records.
Read More: Dr. Roxy: The Dispatch's coverage of the rise and fall of the TikTok doc
The patient was eventually diagnosed with free air in her abdomen, a perforated small bowel and a necrotizing soft tissue infection.
Two other patients cited by the medical board also suffered from complications.
Patient 2 suffered from six punctures and multiple tears in her bowel and had to have surgery to remove part of her small bowel after undergoing liposuction, a Brazilian butt lift, a hernia repair and a Renuvion J-plasma procedure in 2020. Patient 3 suffered from nausea and infection and needed to have her breast implants removed after undergoing a breast augmentation in 2021.
When did the medical board get its first complaint against 'Dr. Roxy?'
It's unclear when the medical board received its first complaint against the plastic surgeon.
The lawsuit that Jenkins filed in 2014 would have been reported to the medical board via the National Practitioner Databank. Malpractice lawsuits "may or may not trigger the opening of a complaint," said board spokeswoman Jerica Stewart.
The earliest complaint The Dispatch was able to confirm was one made May 26, 2017, according to records obtained through a public records request.
The complaint was filed by an unknown former patient who underwent facial injections with Botox and Juvéderm. In a caution letter to Grawe dated Oct. 9, 2018, the secretary of the medical board claimed that Grawe published photos of the patient on social media without the patient's written consent.
In a letter responding to the medical board, Grawe denied the complaint and said the patient gave her verbal consent to film and post footage of her procedure on social media.
mfilby@dispatch.com
@MaxFilby
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dr Roxy: What we learned from the podcast on the TikTok doctor
