A California plastic surgeon who surrendered her medical license after a cosmetic procedure ended in a patient’s death has been found dead in a backyard swimming pool.
Sarwa Aldoori, 71, was discovered Tuesday evening at a home on Pineglen Drive in Bakersfield, according to local news outlet KGET.
The Kern County Coroner’s Office later identified the woman as Aldoori.
The Bakersfield Police Department said the investigation into her death remains active. Authorities have not yet determined the cause or manner of death, and the circumstances surrounding how Aldoori ended up in the pool remain unclear.
Police have also not said whether foul play is suspected.
Aldoori spent approximately 35 years working as an OB-GYN and was one of two physicians at Bella Health and Beauty, a cosmetic surgery practice in northeast Bakersfield.
Her work focused on women’s health and wellness, as well as cosmetic procedures.
Aldoori’s death comes more than two years after she surrendered her California medical license in March 2024 following disciplinary action linked to the death of one of her patients.
Records from the Medical Board of California show that Aldoori was initially placed on seven years of probation. Regulators later accused her of failing to comply with the conditions of that probation, which ultimately led to her giving up her license.
The disciplinary case stemmed from allegations filed in 2021 over a liposuction and tummy tuck procedure Aldoori performed on a patient who died in April 2016.
State records alleged that Aldoori did not have sufficient training to perform the operation.
The patient reportedly died from a fat embolism, a potentially deadly complication that occurs when fat droplets enter the bloodstream and can block blood flow to vital organs.
Authorities have not indicated that Aldoori’s medical history or the previous disciplinary case is connected to her death.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected after the coroner completes further testing.
Remember, that is why we say all doctors are “practicing” physicians.