The Most Shocking Moments: 7 Times Cristina Yang Pushed the Boundaries on Grey's Anatomy

Cristina Yang, one of the most talented surgeons on Grey's Anatomy, faced numerous moments where she was at risk of losing her position at the hospital. Like Meredith, she began her internship at Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey-Sloan Memorial) in the first season. From the start, it was clear that Cristina had the potential to excel as a surgeon due to her extraordinary surgical skills and extensive medical knowledge. Her innovative ideas also hinted at a future nomination for the prestigious Catherine Fox award.

However, Cristina was not without her flaws. While her passion for surgery was commendable, there were instances where her enthusiasm and overexcitement led her to make reckless and significant errors. Although this added excitement to the show, in reality, these mistakes would likely have resulted in her dismissal and the revocation of her medical license.

7 Cristina Has Broken HIPPA A Few Times

While it may be done in the show to advance the storyline, there have been instances where Cristina and other characters have violated HIPPA codes. The first occurrence was in season 1, episode 1, "A Hard's Day Night," when Cristina, Derek, and Meredith worked on the Katie Bryce case.

Although it may not seem significant to viewers, discussing such information in the presence of uninvolved individuals is illegal, as stated by medical professional Doctor Mike. This exposes them to potential lawsuits amounting to millions. Although Cristina may have received a warning this time, continued violations would likely result in her termination. For example, despite good intentions, she broke the code again by disclosing Izzie's cancer diagnosis to Alex and Bailey.

6 Not Reporting The Intern Cabal

Although Cristina attempted to address the issue of interns performing sutures on themselves, she unfortunately failed to learn from her previous scandals and neglected to report the incident to her superiors. While she did face consequences by being unable to perform surgeries, the outcome could have been much more severe, especially if Sadie had passed away under their care. Moreover, this situation violated numerous health regulations. In a real-world scenario, it is highly likely that she would have been dismissed.

5 Performing Unauthorized Surgery

Just like the other characters on Grey's Anatomy, Cristina found herself in a precarious situation once again when she decided to perform a surgery without authorization and disregarded her supervisor's advice. This happened in season 6's "Invest in Love," when Owen asked her to wait for a Cardio specialist to remove an air embolism from the patient. By defying him, Cristina not only violated medical protocol but also put her own professional license at risk. She potentially faced disciplinary action if her abilities were questioned by her superiors.

4 Cristina Mistreats And Bullies The Interns/Her Colleagues

Cristina, a beloved character in Grey's Anatomy known for her sarcasm, is also recognized for her unfiltered opinions. However, many fans would agree that her direct approach would likely have led to her termination. Despite her surgical expertise, Cristina's unprofessional behavior towards her colleagues, including verbal abuse and mistreatment, creates a hostile work environment. For instance, she referred to interns by numbers or compared them to the Seven Dwarves, while also mocking April about her sex life.

Even when confronted about the discomfort caused by her nicknames and insults, Cristina never showed remorse and instead dismissed them with laughter. If any of her colleagues or interns reported her behavior to HR, it is highly probable that she would have been fired.

3 Performing An Illegal Autopsy

While leaving in season 10, Cristina hadn't done it, but she broke another medical protocol alongside Izzie in season 1, episode 9, "Who's Zoomin' Who?". They decided to conduct an illegal autopsy without obtaining consent from the patient's family. Even though they fortuitously discovered the cause of death and provided the family with much-needed closure, Cristina may not have fully understood the gravity of her actions. Defying the family's wishes could have resulted in the revocation of her license and a potential prison sentence. She was incredibly fortunate not to have been expelled at that moment.

2 Covering Up Burke's Hand Issues

Assisting Burke in concealing his hand tremor was one of the most jaw-dropping acts Cristina ever engaged in during her time on Grey's Anatomy. Following Burke's gunshot wound in the episode "Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response" in season 2, he encountered difficulties in his recuperation due to nerve damage that impaired his surgical abilities.

Although Cristina decided to assist him in his rehabilitation by performing simple exercises, they crossed the line when they proceeded to conduct surgeries on multiple patients, oblivious to the potential dangers involved due to Cristina's lack of qualifications for certain procedures. It is astonishing that Cristina did not face more severe consequences once the truth came to light, considering the possible repercussions that could have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities among the patients.

1 Participating & Covering Up The L-VAD Situation

Cristina, beloved by fans of Grey's Anatomy, has overcome numerous mistakes in her journey. However, her career faced a major hurdle when she found herself on the brink of losing her job due to the Denny Duquette L-VAD incident (season 2's "Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response"). Even though Cristina was not the one directly responsible for the wrongdoing, she became entangled in the scandal by keeping silent about the truth and failing to report the incident promptly. Considering the gravity of the crime involving organ theft and endangering a patient's well-being, termination seemed inevitable.