Berto Lopez
Berto Lopez, M.D.[a 1], is a former physician and OB/GYN[a 2] in Palm Beach County, Florida. His license to practice medicine was revoked by the Florida Board of Medicine on 5 February 2021 with an effective date of 22 February 2021.[1]
Contents
Penis amputations
Dr. Lopez is alleged to have amputated the penis of a boy identified as Baby R.R.R. in May 2017.[2]
Dr. Lopez continued to practice medicine until the effective date of his license revocation. On 15 February 2021 he performed a medically-unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision on an infant boy identified as Baby G.L., during which it is alleged that Dr. Lopez severed the boy's penis, resulting in an amputation.[3]
Patient deaths
The following six patient deaths are alleged to have been caused by the malpractice of Dr. Lopez:
- Infant Crystal Diane Hicks (1988).
- Infant Earl Buchanan. (1992).
- Nakia Gilmore, 18 (1994) died giving birth.
- Joyce Rivers, 56 (2012). Small intestine was punctured .
- Ashley Perez, 29. (2014) Died of postpartum hemorrhage.
- Onystei Castillo-Lopez, 40. (2017) died of postpartum hemorrhage.[4]
Litigation
Lawsuits
Dr. Lopez has been named as a defendant in numerous cases of malpractice and wrongful death.[2]
Damages
The total amount of damages will never be known because three lawsuits, those of infant Earl Buchanan, Joann Catlett, 47, and Baby R.R.R. were settled out of court.[2]
The Palm Beach Post reported, "Lopez stopped carrying malpractice insurance about 2003. He's faced five malpractice suits and four disciplinary complaints since then."[5]
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation lists two other malpractice settlements for $250,000 for each of the patients.[5]
More recently in 2024, jurors awarded $100 million to the family of a boy who lost a third of his penis during a botched circumcision by Dr. Berto Lopez in West Palm Beach.[6]
Dr. Lopez claims he has no money,[6] so it is unlikely that his victims will be able to collect money damages.
Video
Shocking Truth: Dr. Berto Lopez's Botched Circumcision & Medical Malpractice Exposed
See also
Abbreviations
- ↑
Doctor of Medicine
, Wikipedia. Retrieved 14 June 2021. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries, the abbreviation MD is common. - ↑
Obstetrics and gynaecology
, Wikipedia. Retrieved 5 October 2024. Obstetrics and gynaecology (also spelled as obstetrics and gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period) and gynaecology (covering the health of the female reproductive system – vagina, uterus, ovaries, and breasts). The specialization is an important part of care for women's health.
Note: "OB-GYN" (or "OB/GYN") is most commonly treated as an initialism and pronounced as five individual letters, even though it only represents two different words.
References
- ↑
Graziosi, Graig (September 2024)."Doctor linked to multiple deaths after severing a baby’s penis in botched circumcision", The Independent. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ↑ a b c Baltz, Holly (3 September 2024)."Doctor accused of botching baby's circumcision tied to 6 patient deaths: Here's what to know", Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
Quote:Baby R.R.R. lost his penis in a circumcision in May 2017, a lawsuit says. The suit was settled.
- ↑ Baltz, Holly / Thao Nguyen (3 September 2024)."Florida doctor found liable for botching baby's circumcision tied to 6 patient deaths", USA Today Network. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
Quote:A Palm Beach County jury awarded the infant’s parents $100 million on Aug. 27 after the family accused former Dr. Berto Lopez of severing the child’s penis during a circumcision in 2021. Lopez, who had a 33-year career as an OB-GYN in Palm Beach County, performed the procedure 10 days after the Florida Board of Medicine voted to revoke his medical license.
- ↑ Palm Beach Staff (15 March 2022)."Dr. Berto Lopez: Florida OB-GYN whose career is dotted with multiple malpractice allegations", The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
Quote:This timeline shows the long list of women and children who died or were catastrophically injured while in the care of Dr. Berto Lopez, an OB-GYN who practiced in Palm Beach County for more than three decades.
- ↑ a b Sangalang, Jennifer / Holly Baltz (23 September 2021)."Average OB-GYN faces 2 or 3 lawsuits during a career. This Palm Beach County doctor had 9", The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ↑ a b Phillips, Hannah (28 August 2024)."'His last butchered patient': Ex-doctor owes $100 million to family of boy whose penis he severed", The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
