Celebrity plastic surgeon, Dr. Leonard Hochstein, was recently hit with his third medical malpractice lawsuit in recent months.
Celebrity plastic surgeon, Dr. Leonard Hochstein, is at the center of a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by Jennifer Geci, a former patient. For those who don’t know, Hochstein is married to Lisa Hochstein, a star on ‘The Real Housewives of Miami,’ and is known as the ‘Boob God.’
The suit was filed on August 4 in Miami Circuit Court and alleges Hochstein “utilized improper surgical technique while performing a thigh lift that left her with injury in and around the groin and labia that caused altered and deformed genitalia.” Additionally, the suit argues that Geci “suffered aggravation of pre-existing conditions…suffered disability and physical impairment suffered mental pain and suffering, all of which amounted to further medical expenses to treat her alleged injuries.” As a result, she is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.
Unfortunately for Hochstein, this is the third lawsuit filed against him in recent months. The other suits were filed by former patients Luz Del Alba and Christine Wilson. Alba went to Hochstein for a thigh and arm lift and was left with “large open wounds and significant limitation of the range of motion in her arms. In Wilson’s suit, she alleged that when she had a “breast augmentation, breast lift, and liposuction, a metal surgical needle was left in her body.” Because of that, she allegedly “endured pain and suffering, incurred significant medical bills and expenses and extreme mental and emotional anguish.” She is seeking more than $15,000 in damages.
So far, Hochstein has denied the allegations and blamed his surgical assistant instead. When commenting about the claims, he said:
“In 2017 I interviewed a surgical assistant to possibly hire for my practice. As part of the interview process, he was asked to perform skin closure…Ultimately I decided against hiring him but the needle left in Ms. Wilson is strictly due to his negligence. I reached out to Ms. Wilson in hopes of remedying his error but she has chosen to sue me instead.”
When commenting about Geci’s complaint, he said, “I take the other allegations seriously and look forward to my day in court so that I can clear my reputation.” He added:
“I have been a surgeon for 31 years. Up until this time I have never been sued for malpractice. In this litigious environment that is quite an accomplishment. I can also tell you my lawyer firmly believes we will prevail in these two cases as well.”
Hochstein has also lashed out against negative reviewers by filing court papers against RealSelf, a medical review site. According to his complaint, reviews about him are “false, defamatory, and/or posted not by a real patient or person who actually received the services of the doctor.” However, an attorney representing the website pushed back against Hochstein’s allegations and said:
“Our users have a right to share their experiences — good or bad — and learn from the shared experiences of others. The vast majority of plastic surgeons understand that the consumer empowerment RealSelf enables is good for patients and providers alike…Unfortunately, sometimes a doctor will resort to ill-advised litigation rather than taking online feedback and trying to improve. In such cases, we defend ourselves vigorously, including seeking recovery of legal fees when such cases are thrown out of court.”
Sources:
Plastic surgeon Leonard Hochstein facing another medical malpratice lawsuit
Celebrity plastic surgeon Leonard Hochstein embroiled in legal battles
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