Earlier last month, Physician’s Weekly posted an article about an extreme case of skewed patient reviews for a doctor in California. If you do an internet search for Dr. Ehab Mohamed today, you’ll find many positive “patient” reviews. On UCompareHealthCare.com, Dr. Mohamed has a 4/5-star rating, and he currently has a rating of 3.5/4 stars on Vitals.com.
These reviews portray Dr. Mohamed to be a knowledgeable and trustworthy medical professional, but that couldn’t actually be further from the truth.
Dr. Mohamed, a “cosmetic surgeon,” has recently been stripped of his medical license and charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of one of his patients. A 61-year-old woman reportedly died during a 10-hour liposuction procedure in 2010 from an overdose of fentanyl, oxycodone and lidocaine.
Furthermore, the wrongful death of Dr. Mohamed’s patient wasn’t even the beginning of his suspicious history, raising even greater concern about the validity of online reviews.
Investigations have revealed that Dr. Mohamed has no proof of formal training in either cosmetic or plastic surgery, yet he had been actively practicing as a cosmetic surgeon. Mohamed’s training was actually in obstetrics and gynecology, but he was not board-certified. One website claims that he had been a resident at renowned institutions, including Columbia and Johns Hopkins, but this information also cannot be verified.
Other surgeons reportedly warned the California Medical Board about Dr. Mohamed’s bad practice two years prior to the death of the liposuction patient, but nothing was done. The California Medical Board also failed to recognize the doctor’s visa had expired in 2006, so he had been living in the United States as an illegal immigrant for years.
Somewhere near the time of the liposuction patient’s death, Mohammed supposedly tried to perform a hernia repair on himself. Reports stated that he had to call an ambulance to rush him from his office to a hospital when complications arose during the self-surgery. The homicide detective who investigated Dr. Mohamed’s history in the manslaughter case was quoted saying, “[the hernia repair incident] caused me to question whether Dr. Mohamed was in complete control of his faculties.”
After his patient died and his license was restricted to only non-invasive procedures, Dr. Mohamed continued practicing medicine. He advertised himself by using only his first name to try to prevent internet searchers from discovering his history of malpractice.
Other patients have stepped forward with additional accusations including:
- Elder abuse for a 77-year-old who also had complications during a liposuction procedure.
- Overcharging patients for procedures, with one reported fee as high as $650,000 (normal range being $50,000-$100,000).
- Offering fake “discounts” to patients for enrolling in a Harvard University Study.
- Allegedly anesthetizing one patient for surgery, then while she was sedated, had her sign for more surgery at an increased fee.
To add to his offenses, Mohamed was also recently tried and convicted of attempted grand theft after trying to sell $20,000 worth of medical equipment that he did not own.
Choose Your Doctors Carefully
If you’re looking for a new medical provider, this case proves that anonymous online ratings and reviews are not a reliable resource. When possible, seek referrals from friends and family who actually have experience with a doctor.
Have you or someone you know been a victim of medical negligence or malpractice?
The lawyers at Lieser Law Firm can evaluate your case, answer your questions, and provide you with legal options. Contact us today for a consultation.