Expert Information
Currently engaged in clinical practice: Yes
Degree: DO
Specialty / Subspecialty:
- Anesthesiology
Area of Expertise: General Anesthesiology, Obstetric Anesthesia, Peripheral Nerve Blocks, Ambulatory Surgery, Airway Management, Anesthesia for Endoscopy, Sedation, Anesthesia for dentistry
Year of Medical Training Completion: 2009
City of Practice: Phoenix
State of Practice: Arizona
Previous Experience As Expert Witness: No
Type of Practice: Non-Academic
Available to Review Cases: Yes, for either the defendant or the plaintiff
Available to Be Deposed: Yes, for either the defendant or the plaintiff
Available to Testify In Trial: Yes, for either the defendant or the plaintiff
Training and Additional Credentials
Medical School: Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Year of Completion: 2003
Residency: Yale New Haven Hospital
Year of Completion: 2007
Fellowship: -
Year of Completion: -
Academic / Leadership Information
Highest Academic/Leadership Position Achieved: Department of Anesthesiology Chairperon
Current Academic Affiliation: University of Arizona-Phoenix
Distinguishing Achievements
Awards: -
Number of Publications on PubMed: -
Professional Organizations: ASA, ABA, SOAP, ArMA, AZSA
Fee Schedule
Medical Record Review:
Review of Medical Records, Review of Additional Materials, additional office consultation
- $500
- $2000
Independent Medical Examination:
Independent Medical Examination with written report
- Per Hour: -
Deposition in office:
Deposition: Discovery/Evidence
- First two hours: $1000
- For each Additional hour or any portion thereof: $500
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled disposition): $2000
- Cancellation fee (less than 7 days notice): $500
Trial (InState):
- Initial day: $3000
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): $1500
- For each additional day: $3000
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): $1500
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled trial): $2000
Trial (Out of State):
- Initial day: $4000
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): $2000
- For each additional day: $4000
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): $2000
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled trial): $4000
Case Responses
Intra-operative hypotension resulting in decreased spinal cord perfusion and paraplegia (Case #136)
- Medical Probability: 4 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: Specifically in terms of the anesthesiologist's role in this scenario, it is unlikely that the episode of post-induction hypotension contributed to her postoperative paralysis or motor deficits. The r...
- Causation Probability: 6 / 10
- Causation Summary: The surgeon had access to neuromonitoring during this case. He could ask for SSEPs or MEPs or both. These key values can help to discern at which point any injury may have occurred. In addition, if th...
- Expert Summary: I have spent over 3 years providing anesthesia for spine cases just as these. I have been practicing anesthesia for 16 years. I am currently the anesthesia leader for the ambulatory surgery center...
- Similar Summary: In terms of post-induction hypotension, this is a very common occurrence. Some patients are more difficult to treat than others. In terms of performing anesthesia for spine cases, I have spent 3 y...
Delay in surgery for acute appendicitis due to low potassium. (Case #297)
- Medical Probability: 5 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: The delay in getting to the OR seems more likely from the lack of urgency in obtaining imaging and the delay in diagnosis. The perforation likely happened during those days rather than the one while e...
- Causation Probability: 5 / 10
- Causation Summary: I am assuming that even the patient believed her symptoms were not an emergency and mild because she did not seek out emergency care but rather planned outpatient imaging through non-urgent services. ...
- Expert Summary: I have been reviewing quality cases for 9 years. I am currently the Chair of the Anesthesia Department in a community hospital setting. I have been practicing anesthesia for 19 years across multiple s...
- Similar Summary: We encounter these cases in our group practice nearly every day from the add in cases through the ER.
Permanent hemidiaphragm paralysis after interscalene block (Case #344)
- Medical Probability: 6 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: The inter scalene nerve block is a commonly performed pain procedure to treat postoperative pain for shoulder surgery. From the information provided, the provider appears to have used proper technique...
- Causation Probability: 6 / 10
- Causation Summary: The clear increase in oxygen requirements for the patient after many days postoperatively is unusual. This is not a typical occurrence from this surgery nor the anesthesia technique. If there are prop...
- Expert Summary: I am currently the Chair of the Department of Anesthesia at my facility. I am the Physician Chair for the Anesthesia Clinical Consensus Group which oversees our entire health system including 30 facil...
- Similar Summary: I have been practicing anesthesia in the clinical setting full-time for 20 years. I have worked in a variety of practice settings in multiple states. I have performed many nerve blocks and I am profic...
Failure to secure IV, monitor, and assess patient in prone position on OR table. (Case #432)
- Medical Probability: 6 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: While it is difficult to make a definitive opinion given the limited information, the scenario that is posed leads to many other questions about the case. This does not list what type of anesthesia wa...
- Causation Probability: 7 / 10
- Causation Summary: Again, I would need to review the preoperative notes from physicians, nursing and the anesthesia personnel to determine if there was any reason for the patient to have pre-existing conditions related ...
- Expert Summary: I have been practicing anesthesiology as a physician for 20 years. I regularly cover general surgery cases which require repositioning. I also work in a care team model with CRNAs utilizing medical di...
- Similar Summary: My main facility of practice cares for many surgical oncology patients. Patients with cancer have unique circumstances especially when it comes to frailty and fragility. It appears this case involves ...
- Medical Probability: 6 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: Given the description of what occurred during the surgical procedure and what anesthetic was prescribed, the development of an unstable arrhythmia is not without a root cause stemming from an undiagno...
- Causation Probability: 4 / 10
- Causation Summary: Given the facts that have been presented and main causes of cardiovascular complications (acute myocardial infarction) were ruled out with the autopsy, the likely cause of the patient's demise seems m...
- Expert Summary: I am a board certified anesthesiologist who has practiced in the field for over 20 years and in multiple areas of the country. I have been recognized with a designation as a Fellow of the American Soc...
- Similar Summary: This type of surgical case is fairly common with at least 3-5 patients who present to the practice as a whole each week. This type of case is encountered at any hospital with an OR, whether a small co...
