Woman Sues Doctor for Botched Vagina Lift

Dr. David Matlock, who is featured on the reality show "Dr. 90210" is being sued by Patricia D'Edgido, a former patient who claims he caused her severe injury following a procedure at the doctor's Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Los Angeles.

TMZ reports Patricia accuses Dr Matlock, who is a obstetrician-gynecologist and pioneer of vaginal rejuvenation plastic surgery, of causing "extreme and severe permanent personal injuries" after a 2007 surgery "on her buttocks and other areas of her body, including her arms and vaginal area."

Among the allegations in the lawsuit, Patricia accuses Matlock Sand the institute he founded of "the use of an improper surgical technique, the artless execution of surgical technique, including the manner in which defendants performed such surgery ... failure to perform the correct surgical technique."

She's seeking $25K in damages.


In 2007, Matlock was accused by his peers for violating ethical standards and "hypermarketing" practices.

"Even if it doesn't violate ethics, it's sleazy," said V. Leroy Young, a St. Louis plastic surgeon. Young said he considered Matlock's patient fees, which can run to $50,000 for the package of procedures dubbed the "Wonder Woman Makeover," to be "astronomical" and "indecent."

In recent years Matlock's activities have attracted the scrutiny of the Medical Board of California, records show.

In 1998 the board sought to revoke his license, charging him with insurance fraud, dishonesty, creation of false medical records and gross negligence in connection with his treatment of two patients.

In 2000 Matlock signed a settlement agreement with the board that placed him on probation for four years but did not require an explicit admission of wrongdoing. Two years later his request to terminate the probation was denied after an administrative law judge found that Matlock had tried to "mislead the Board" by not disclosing that he had been sued for malpractice while he was on probation and had "clearly withheld information." His license was fully restored in 2004.

Matlock said the disciplinary action was the result of a misunderstanding. "It was completely unfair, and I honestly think race had something to do with it," said Matlock, who is black.

In the past 10 years, records show, Matlock has been sued for malpractice 10 times in Los Angeles County Superior Court. According to ACOG, ob-gyns are sued an average of 2.6 times during their careers.

Matlock said that five of the lawsuits were settled at the recommendation of his insurance company, with payments ranging from $8,000 to $150,000. In a sixth case Matlock said he refunded a patient's $6,500 liposuction fee after she was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital for a cardiac problem that arose during surgery. Two cases were dropped by the plaintiffs before trial, he said, and two others were resolved without payments.

Lawsuits, he said, are a risk for doctors in his specialities. Matlock said the largest payment made to settle a case on his behalf was $225,000 paid in 1993.

"The average payment for an ob-gyn is $500,000," Matlock said, adding that the lawsuits brought against him were "nuisance cases."



Source: washington post