Russian unhappy with cosmetic operations shoots surgeon, self

A Russian plastic surgeon died on Tuesday after a patient upset over the results of several operations gunned him down and then took his own life.

The patient, 34-year-old Yury Lebedev, shot the surgeon, named by media as Alexander Remizov, in his office at the Russian Railways hospital in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg on Monday, investigators said in a statement.

"The presumed motive of the murder is the man's unhappiness at several plastic operations carried out at this hospital," investigators said.

Lebedev was angry at the results of several nose job operations and a procedure on his ears, prosecutors told Fontanka.ru local news site. Remizov reportedly oversaw his treatment but did not carry out the operations.

Lebedev shot the surgeon in the chest with a hunting rifle, which he was able to bring through metal detectors at the entrance that had been switched off, the hospital's chief doctor told journalists, Fontanka.ru reported.

Lebedev, who had served for 10 years as a submarine officer before moving to Saint Petersburg, had difficulties with his personal life that he blamed on his appearance, Fontanka.ru reported, citing his friends.

Police found a pile of correspondence with the hospital about the operations in Lebedev's flat, Fontanka.ru reported.

The most recent letter was from Remizov, who reportedly wrote: "You should see a psychiatrist."

The case comes just weeks after a similar shooting of a urologist by a disgruntled patient in far eastern Russia.

A 69-year-old man last month shot dead the head of the urology department at a hospital in the city of Magadan and then shot himself after the surgeon reportedly refused to conduct an operation.