What was meant to be a simple dental procedure for an Ohio father ended in tragedy, leaving a family devastated and raising serious questions about medical oversight. Matthew Miller, a 48-year-old man from Ohio, died after undergoing what was supposed to be a routine procedure to remove three teeth at a surgical dental clinic in Medina in August 2023. According to his widow, Brandy Miller, the day began like any other medical appointment. Matthew arrived at the Visage Surgical Institute to have three teeth extracted, a procedure the family expected would take only a short time. Brandy said she and their youngest son waited outside the office while the clinic’s owner, Dr. Faisal Quereshy, performed the operation. But the situation quickly took a terrifying turn.
Speaking through tears in an interview with local outlet Cleveland 19, Brandy recalled the moment she realized something had gone terribly wrong. As time passed, she approached the doctor to ask how the procedure was going. The response she received, she said, immediately filled her with dread. “I said, ‘Hey doc, how’s he doing?’ ” Brandy recalled emotionally. According to her, the doctor responded simply: “Not good.”
Confused and alarmed, she asked what he meant. She claims the doctor then told her that after administering medication for the procedure, Matthew suddenly stopped breathing and his heart stopped.
“He said, ‘I gave him the medication and then he stopped breathing and his heart stopped and the paramedics are here working,’ ” Brandy said. In that terrifying moment, she turned to her son, grabbed his hand, and urged him to pray. Matthew was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors fought to save his life. Despite their efforts, he died four days later.
Documents obtained by Cleveland 19 indicate that the Medina County Medical Examiner ultimately determined Matthew had stopped breathing as a result of the sedation he received during the dental procedure. The medical examiner’s office has not publicly commented further on the case.
The incident later prompted an investigation by the Ohio State Dental Board. According to reports from Cleveland 19 and WECT 6, Hearing Examiner Celia Schnupp alleged that Dr. Quereshy failed to perform a comprehensive medical evaluation of Matthew Miller before administering anesthesia. Investigators also claimed the patient was not adequately monitored during the procedure, concerns that have raised broader questions about safety protocols during dental sedation.
For Brandy Miller, the loss remains almost impossible to process. What was expected to be a routine appointment became the moment her family’s life changed forever.
Now, as investigations continue and the case draws attention to the risks associated with sedation during dental procedures, Matthew’s story serves as a painful reminder of how quickly routine medical care can turn into tragedy.