80 year old former patient

My complaint is that Dr. West put an implant in my right side that was much larger than my normal breast on my left side. I had breast silicones in me for 30 years. West was suppose to replace one silicone and remove the other completely and have it match to the size of my left breast. When I went in for my follow up visit he said, “Oh my God, I made you a different size breast!” I was so angry with him, how could he not know that he was putting in such a big huge breast. My left breast was no where near the size of the new implant on my right side. A few weeks later I went to his office on “K” Street again to follow up and he was gone. No number, no forwarding address. He was gone. He closed his office but I still had tubes in my breast that needed to come out. I didn’t know what to do so I called Dr. Jay Owens and he told me to come in and he removed the tubes.

Dr. West abandoned me without removing the tubes and placed the wrong size implant in me. The implant since then has deflated and the silicone is in my body. I suffer from pain constantly. I have no financial means of replacing the silicone. What he did to me was wrong and he should have his license revoked for this.

Sharon Mikulecky's Story

Tram Flap Surgery

Sharon passed away after suffering excruxiatingly for a year from multitudes of infections, due to the "Tram Flap Surgery" with Brian West MD and because of all this the cancer eventually came back and it spread throughout her body.

Public Please Be Informed

Unfortunately, many patients have no idea that by filing a Medical Malpractice case against a doctor it does not necessarily constitute a medical complaint with the board. As a matter of fact, the board is soooo short staffed they do not investigate lawsuits or even know about them. Unless there is a settlement or judgment for more than $29,999. (This is the magic dollar amount doctors will settle for, because the board will not investigate.) It is unfortunate, the very entity that is suppose to protect us does not have the time or the manpower to do so.

If you feel you have been injured or the doctor fell below the standard of care. Please be aware your complaint should be two fold: One is CIVIL and one is a COMPLAINT WITH THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA. BOTH MUST BE DONE!!! The First is a "CIVIL LAWSUIT" this must be done by a CIVIL ATTORNEY and Secondly a "MEDICAL COMPLAINT" must be filed by YOU, THE PATIENT. Almost every attorney that turns down Medical Malpractice cases for one reason or another and hardly ever advises the patient/plaintiff that their other recourse would be to file a complaint with the Medical Board of California.

We want to educate the public. Filing a lawsuit against a doctor is not your only recourse. You must file a complaint with the California Medical Board, irregardless if you have a medical malpractice lawsuit or not. The California Medical Board needs to know about your complaint, even if your Attorney does not want too.

If you want to keep healthcare affordable, get rid of bad doctors. If you want to keep medical malpractice cases low, get rid of bad doctors. If you want to keep medical complaints at a minimum, get rid of bad doctors.

Julie D'Angelo Fellmeth's Testimony

This is Julie's testimony at the California Medical Board Meeting on June 18, 2007. She is an inspiration to all of us. She has been fighting for years for the board to make necessary changes in the Diversion Program. It's unforunate, that we meet Julie under these circumstances. We are the first patients that the board has ever heard of, that were injured by a doctor in Diversion. Honestly, this is because the public has not been informed. If more patients knew that filing a Medical Complaint with the Medical Board of California was an option, they would do so.


http://www.cpil.org/download/Testimony_BSA.pdf