A doctor practicing in New Jersey, Maryland, and two other states has had his medical license suspended by the Maryland Board of Physicians.  An 18-year-old-patient was seriously injured after an alleged surgical error made during an abortion procedure.

On August 12, 2010, the 18-year-old woman entered one of four New Jersey clinics owned by the doctor.  At the time, the woman was 21 weeks pregnant.  New Jersey safety requirements prohibit the four clinics from performing outpatient abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy.  The woman signed a consent form for an abortion and underwent a procedure to widen the cervix.  She was scheduled for surgery the next day.

On August 13, the woman returned to the Voorhees, New Jersey, clinic and joined a caravan of patients who travelled from New Jersey to a clinic owned by the doctor in Elkton, Maryland.  Under the direction of the New Jersey doctor, the 18-year-old underwent surgery.  According to the Maryland Medical Board documents, the doctor performing the procedure cut through the 18-year-old woman's uterus into her bowel and vagina.

The doctors decided not to call an ambulance, but instead drove the patient two blocks to the hospital for treatment.  The doctors then returned to the Elkton clinic to continue their abortion practice.  The 18-year-old patient was transferred to John's Hopkins Hospital by helicopter due to the severity of her injuries.  

After the patient made a complaint to the Elkton police department, the clinic was searched on August 17 for the patient's medical records.  Police, joined by staff of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, also searched the Voorhees clinic on August 20.  New Jersey's Board of Medicine is expected to take action soon.

Doctors and other medical personnel are held to a standard of reasonable care.  While routine medical procedures, as well as surgeries, carry risks, those risks do not include negligence or actual misconduct of medical personnel.  An investigation, suspension, or findings of a state Medical Review Board is not a medical malpractice claim.  Those issues are decided in Court.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, "Doctor's four-state abortion clinic under investigation," 3 sept. 2010