Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder,  Agency: Newsflash

A ‘Frankenstein’ Russian plastic surgeon who was set to go on trial for mutilating a string of patients has died after falling into a coma just before she was due in the dock.

Antonina Gorbunova, 37, who went by the name Alyona Verdi when performing surgeries in the south-western Russian city of Krasnodar in Krasnodar Krai, was reportedly found unconscious after a night drinking with pals earlier this month.

She died at 5.50am on 15th June without regaining consciousness and her body has been sent for a forensic examination, according to local media.

Gorbunova – reportedly dubbed ‘Frankenstein’ by some of her ex-patients – was allowed to leave her home to visit a friend where they both drank alcohol with other guests all night in early June.

An ambulance was called the following morning when Gorbunova remained unresponsive, according to reports.

Doctors said Gorbunova had a high level of medicines in her system, however her friends said they did not see her taking any pills that night.

She was arrested in April 2019 for operating on 20 people, two of whom suffered severe injuries as a result of the alleged surgeries.

She spent 10 months in a pre-trial detention centre before being released on 4th February 2020 when a local court found that investigators had failed to provide enough evidence that the patients were seriously harmed.

On 4th March, reports stated that investigators had found another case against Gorbunova, with officials saying that in March 2015 she had offered to carry out surgery on a woman’s eyelids (a blepharoplasty to repair droopy eyelids) and vulva (a labiaplasty to alter the labia).

The unnamed patient was reportedly asked to provide the suspect with hair extensions in return.

The operations were performed in a rented space in the basement of a residential building but the patient’s eye surgery went wrong. She reportedly ended up with palpebral fissures, scar tissue to the eyelids, and retraction of the lower eyelids.

Russian prosecutors said this caused serious harm to the patient’s health.

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