An unlicensed acupuncturist was arraigned Monday and charged with causing a woman’s lung to collapse, the Queens District Attorney’s office said.
Yong De Lin, 66, of Flushing, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on a four-count indictment charging him with assault, reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice of a profession.
“The difference between receiving health care from a competent, licensed professional or someone who is unlicensed can mean the difference between life and death,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
According to a press release, 63-year-old Shujuan Jiang was first introduced to Lin on May 10, 2022, when she visited C&W Medical in Flushing seeking relief from stomach and back pain. Six days later, Jiang returned and Lin performed acupuncture treatments to her stomach and back. She returned for 16 additional treatments between May 18 and Oct. 28.
It was during the last session that Jiang began to feel unwell after the treatment, and laid down, according to Katz. Lin administered additional acupuncture, a cupping treatment and sent her home.
On her way home, Jiang experienced shortness of breath and collapsed on the sidewalk, prompting a bystander to call 911, the district attorney said. She was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that both of her lungs had collapsed because of the acupuncture treatments. Immediate surgery saved her life, and she remained hospitalized for six days, Katz said.
A World Health Organization study from 2010 that looked at acupuncture-related adverse events found that pneumothorax, or lung collapse, was the most frequently reported.
“Most traumatic events are caused by improper manipulation in high-risk acupoints. The depth of needle insertion is crucial,” the study says. “The lung surface is about 10 to 20 mm beneath the skin in the region of the medial scapular or midclavicular line. This may explain the high incidence of pneumothorax during needling in this area.”
The Queens district attorney said Lin is not a licensed acupuncturist and never applied for the required state licensure. Katz asked anyone else who received acupuncture treatments from Lin to contact her office’s elder fraud unit at 718-286-6578.
Lin is due back in court on Sept. 20. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
His attorney could not be reached.
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