Tourist behind bars over breast procedure

A Chinese tourist with no Australian medical licence is facing 20 years' jail over a botched breast procedure at a Sydney beauty salon which has left a woman fighting for life.

Jie Shao, 33, has been charged with causing reckless grievous bodily harm and using poison to endanger the life of Jean Huang who suffered cardiac arrest during a medical procedure at the Chippendale clinic.

Ms Huang, 35, was rushed to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

"If she does not survive there'll be more serious charges laid," said the crown prosecutor during Shao's bail application at Central Local Court on Thursday.

The court heard Shao, who appeared via audio-visual link, had made a number of admissions in relation to administering local anaesthetic and breast fillers at the Medi Beauty Laser and Contour Clinic.

Court documents allege she administered "an intoxicating substance, tramadol and lida caine (sic)" to Ms Huang who reportedly owns the clinic.

Shao is not a licensed medical practitioner in Australia, the Crown said.

Shao's solicitor, Mary Underwood, said her client was a graduate of a Canton medical university and a specialist in dermatology who had practiced 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.

The Crown argued Shao, who was due to return to China on Thursday, was a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Magistrate Sharon Freund agreed and formally refused bail, saying the prosecution case was strong and the maximum penalty for each of the offences was 10 years in custody.

The matter was adjourned to the same court on Tuesday.

According to its website, the Medi Beauty Laser and Contour Clinic offers state-of-the-art beauty services based on the latest medical technologies.

"All treatment facilities, materials, resources and products meet the stringent requirements of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Medicines Australia," it states.