MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Colorado surgeon Dr. Warren Kortz was accused of 14 counts of misconduct after a group of patients of unprofessional conduct, some regarding procedures performed with the da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system.
The complaints against Kort, filed by 11 patients, included allegations that the doctor inappropriately told patients that robot-assisted surgery was the best option for performing kidney transplants.
"Donor nephrectomy using the Robot was not the standard of care in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010," according to the complaint. "[Dr. Kortz], however, told surgical Patients D.P., Patient E.W, Patient R.M., Patient C.C., Patient M.C., and Patient S.L. that the Robot was the "gold standard" for donor nephrectomy."
The complaint further claims that Kortz failed to offer patients open surgery or laparoscopy in many cases.
In some cases patients allegedly suffered excessively long surgeries, injury due to improper positioning or bracing, torn blood vessels and forgotten sponges and surgical instruments in the body, OutpatientSurgery.net reported. Kortz also allegedly failed to note the injuries in patients’ medical charts.
Kortz will undergo review in May before the Colorado Medical board.
It doesn’t appear that da Vinci system maker Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) is named as a party to the misconduct. The company and its robot-assisted system are under review by FDA regulators over concerns about complications reported in association with the device.
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