Manslaughter charge for botched breast surgery accused

The Chinese tourist accused of administering a fatal dose of anaesthetic to the owner of a Sydney beauty clinic has had charges against her upgraded to manslaughter.

Jie Shao, 33, was arrested last week after the clinic's owner Jean Huang suffered a cardiac arrest during a breast procedure at the Chippendale salon.

Shao, who doesn't have an Australian medical licence, did not appear at Central Local Court today where the charges were upgraded. She has also been charged with causing reckless grievous bodily harm and using poison to endanger life.

The Chinese national is also being investigated by the Health Care Complaints Commission along with Yuegiong Fu who was allegedly working as a nurse during the procedure at the Medi Beauty Laser and Contour Clinic.

The HCCC on Friday said neither Shao nor Fu were registered in Australia.

"The commission is also assessing a complaint about a registered medical practitioner at the practice," the commission said in a statement.

Shao's solicitor, Mary Underwood, on Thursday told the court her client was a graduate of a Canton medical university and a specialist in dermatology who had practised in China and Great Britain.

She had arrived in Australia four or five days previously with two Chinese passports because her tourist visa - which expires in November - was attached to her old passport, Ms Underwood said.