A lawsuit filed Dec. 23 claimsDr. Parvaiz Chaudhry, who theFresno Bee described as one ofthe state’s busiest cardiac surgeons,left 72-year-old SilvinoPerez on the operating table inApril 2012.
FEESNO – An Indo-Americandoctor from California is underfire after a patient’s family claimshe left surgery to attend a luncheon,a decision that they sayresulted in a loved one being leftin a vegetative state.A lawsuit filed Dec. 23 claimsDr. Parvaiz Chaudhry, who theFresno Bee described as one ofthe state’s busiest cardiac surgeons,left 72-year-old SilvinoPerez on the operating table inApril 2012. According to thesuit, Chaudhry left Perez’s chestcavity open on the table, and tolda physician’s assistant to finish aprocedure that he was unqualifiedto perform, according toABC News.Complications arose,Perez’s heart stopped, andChaudhry was summoned to finishthe operation. He managedto save Perez, but by the time hegot back, the damage to thepatient was done. Perez has livedin a vegetative state ever since.About a year after the fatefulprocedure, Perez’s stepson,Cristobal Arteaga, received aphone call from a nurse who waspresent in the operating roomthat day. The person toldArteaga what had happened.”Itwas awful to hear that,” Arteagatold ABC News. “What kind ofmonster is this, that would justwalk out?” Had Arteaga notreceived that phone call, Perez’sfamily might never have learnedthe truth.Arteaga’s lawyer toldABC News that the dates andmedical details relayed by theinformant matched Perez’s case,and couldn’t be acoincidence.The suit seeksunspecified damages, accordingto the Fresno Bee. A spokeswomanfor Community RegionalMedical Center in Fresno, wherethe operation took place, wouldnot comment on active litigation,but told the newspaper that thehospital had implemented”improved safeguards withaction plans that have beenapproved by the state… [and]continually trains and searchesfor ways we can improve ourpatient care and safety.”
