Doctor behind once-viral TikTok page stripped of medical license

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio plastic surgeon with a once-viral TikTok page has been stripped of her medical license.

On Wednesday, the Ohio Medical Board permanently revoked the licensure of Dr. Katharine Grawe, formerly known as @doctorroxy on TikTok, after she botched the surgeries of three patients – each of whom required medical care following their procedures, according to disciplinary records with the board. She was issued a $4,500 fine for failing to meet the standard of care.

“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,” board member Dr. Jonathan Feibel said.

From 2018 to 2022, Grawe frequently livestreamed patients’ surgeries on her TikTok, amassing thousands of followers who tuned in to watch the procedures. But a board member at Wednesday’s hearing said Grawe prioritized her social media presence over her patients.

Three patients who received treatment from Grawe at her Powell-based practice, Roxy Plastic Surgery, were forced to seek medical attention after their surgeries, according to medical board records. Some reported skin tears, infections, and other serious complications.

Mary Jenkins, a former Roxy Cosmetics patient who successfully sued Grawe in 2019 after the tissue of her breast reconstruction died, said the board’s revocation of her license will hopefully provide closure to other victims.

“It will never go away,” Jenkins said, “because every time we look down, we see a scar and we will always remember.”

The board, who temporarily suspended Grawe’s license in October, said she had been warned as early as 2018 about patient privacy concerns regarding the livestreaming of their surgeries, often in intimate areas.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Grawe said she filmed videos in the operating room “to make people smile in a world that is negative and difficult to navigate.” Standing before the board, however, she said she understands how “many of those silly videos appeared unprofessional.”

Grawe, who does have the option to appeal the decision, can no longer practice medicine in the state of Ohio.