A plastic surgeon has been found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to a series of patients, including a woman who claimed she thought she was going to die after an operation.
Dr Mahyar Amjadi was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The Healthcare Complaints Commission had filed a case involving 14 patients, alleging surgeon misconduct between February 2017 and December 2019.
Dr Amjadi first registered as a doctor in 2007 and has worked at Wollongong Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Westmead Private Hospital and Sydney Private Hospital.
He also set up Luxe Clinic, in Edgecliff in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, in 2016.
Dr. Amjadi was found to have failed in his duty in several areas, including failing to obtain informed consent from three patients before surgery and failing to perform physical examinations on two patients before being admitted for surgery.
He also “inappropriately performed surgery on a patient who was four months postpartum when this was contrary to clinically accepted practice.”
On another occasion, Dr. Amjadi was found to have caused damage to a patient’s pancreas, liver and spleen with a liposuction cannular while operating on her.
Dr Mahyar Amjadi was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
He was also found to have inappropriately removed excess skin from a patient’s right arm during another operation.
The court also found that the plastic surgeon failed to take adequate medical records in relation to six patients.
Dr Amjadi said that while he was “guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct in relation to some aspects of my patient care”, he denied being guilty of professional misconduct.
“I deny that it is currently unsafe to practice as a specialist plastic surgeon,” he told the court.
The plastic surgeon was found to have inserted bilateral deltoid implants in a patient when he lacked the necessary skill to do so.
It was also discovered that he had performed a bilateral breast lift procedure on a patient, but listed the surgery as a bilateral breast reduction.
The surgeon operated on the patient when she was approximately four months postpartum “which is contrary to clinically accepted practice regarding any postpartum surgical breast modification.”
While performing a tummy tuck on a patient in August 2019, the cannula Dr. Amjadi was using struck and damaged her pancreas, liver and spleen.
Another patient sued the surgeon and settled out of court, alleging “severe disfigurement” and psychological trauma from a tummy tuck she underwent in March 2019, ABC reported (her injuries after surgery are pictured).
The patient said that when she woke up after surgery she was “screaming in pain” and “floating in and out of consciousness.”
The ambulance took her to another hospital and she had another operation.
He later developed an infection and received more operations.
The court heard the patient felt so ill she thought she was going to die and called her solicitor to make a new will.
‘On September 14, 2019, she was discharged from the hospital. “Although the respondent (Dr Amjadi) asked her to make a future appointment to see her, she did not do so,” the court said.
“She didn’t want to deal with him anymore.”
The court heard the patient’s claims that she is now unable to work as a nurse because her memory has been affected by the operations.
Another patient sued the surgeon and settled out of court, alleging “severe disfigurement” and psychological trauma from a tummy tuck she performed in March 2019, ABC reported.
That patient was not part of the HCCC case.
Dr. Amjadi admitted that his records with his patients were “poor” and that his preoperative consultations were “too brief.”
Dr Amjadi said that while he was “guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct in relation to some aspects of my patient care”, he denied being guilty of professional misconduct.
“Many of these patients should have had measurements taken and recorded, pre- and post-operative photographs taken by me in consultation, and a physical examination,” he told the court.
The plastic surgeon said he founded Luxe Clinic to provide affordable treatments to those seeking elective procedures.
“I feel a deep level of shame for my failures, as it was never my intention to cause any harm or distress to this demographic of patients,” he said.
“My motivation was always to help.”
Another court hearing will be held next month to establish what restrictions are placed on Dr Amjadi’s medical record.
The New South Wales Medical Council imposed conditions on its registration in October 2019.
The surgeon was prohibited from performing any body contouring surgery, including surgeries involving abdominoplasty, arm lifts, buttock lifts, liposuction, lipectomy and thigh lifts.
You are also prohibited from acting as a surgical assistant for these procedures.
Dr. Amjadi declined to comment.