Nov 14, 2007 9:38 pm US/Pacific
Surgery Centers Under Investigation
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
"Do you have malpractice insurance now?
Yes
You didn't last year. Are you board certified?"
(Door closes)
This doctor didn't want to talk about his past. After leaving former patients with an uncertain future.
"How does it feel when you look in the mirror?
I don't. I don't
You don't look in the mirror?
It's too painful"
Gina Chaney survived breast cancer--but barely survived her plastic surgeon.
"It's devastating to me. It really is after fighting so much with the breast cancer. I really thought this was the light at the end of the tunnel and it wasn't.
What did it turn out to be?
Just a nightmare"
This mother of two grown boys had a mastectomy. Then reconstructive surgery two years ago. She went to the Beverly Hills surgical institute in upland--a chain of plastic surgery centers. She met with dr. Borko Djordjevic--who we found now working out of his own office in Palm Springs.
"He told you he was board certified?
Yes he did because i did ask him"
Chaney wanted a breast implant and also a tummy tuck. But after surgery-- one implant had to be removed because she says her breast became infected. And her tummy tuck.
"It's completely gone.
No belly button?
No belly button at all. It's completely gone"
She claims the doctor forgot it.
"His comment to me was that he had overbooked surgeries so he was in a hurry so he forgot to put my belly button back"
What Chaney didn't know was that at the time of her surgery Dr. Djordjevic was accused by the California medical board of unprofessional conduct for----among other things--- beating his wife. He's also not certified by any board recognized by the medical board. And had no malpractice insurance. Yet he was still working at the surgery center.
"How could they hire him knowing all that. He had no malpractice insurance. He's not board certified."
Stand up: but dr. Djordjevic is not alone. We went through thousands of pages of investigative reports on surgery centers in Southern California-- and found doctors unqualified to practice medicine.
One center had an unlicensed doctor as the assistant surgeon during a breast biopsy.
Another--had no anesthesiologist during surgery where the surgeon administered the anesthesia. That's not proper standards.
We uncovered expired medical licenses
Expired drug enforcement certificates which are required to prescribe drugs
Out of date medications
No emergency training
The list goes on and on.
"Does any of that surprise you?
Dr. Walter Dishell surveys surgical centers for an accreditation agency.
"It's all inappropriate. They should be closed. It's that simple."
But many remain open. In part because the state hasn't inspected surgical centers in years--even though they're required to so. There's no money.
"Doctor I'm David Goldstein with CBS 2 News."
On November first Dr. Djordjevic was suspended by the state medical board for three months and put on probation for seven years. That case didn't involve Gina Chaney.
"Do you have any remorse for what you did with Gina Chaney?
I didn't do anything with Gina Chaney she's fine.
She has no belly button?"
Chaney says three months is not enough. She has to live like this for the rest of her life.
"Three months is nothing. He goes on with his life like normal. My life just stands still. Everyday is a struggle."
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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