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Doctoring the Web

A plastic surgeon has positive online reviews. But not from that patient who died.

"We did an asset check, and [Rajagopal] didn't have very much," Fagel says. "She had a $1 million insurance policy, but for a victim that suffered a hypoxic brain injury, that was not very much." Injuries like the one Aminy suffered — which require constant medical attention for the remainder of a lifetime — bring settlements of between $6 and $9 million, he said.

Although Fagel could have forced Rajagopal out of business and into bankruptcy, it wouldn't have done much for his client, he said. It made more sense to take the $1 million. "In most cases, where there is adequate insurance, we can make a substantial difference to the family," he says. "This was one where we couldn't." He calls Rajagopal's probation from the medical board "a slap on the wrist."

According to Google, Usha Rajagopal is San Francisco’s most popular plastic surgeon.
According to Google, Usha Rajagopal is San Francisco’s most popular plastic surgeon.

With the money, Aminy's family placed her in a facility in Sacramento where the staff-to-patient ratio was extremely low, Fagel says. Yet things only got worse. "We had to watch her deteriorate," says one family member who asked to remain anonymous. "What happened was really hard on the family."

Aminy went through numerous operations, according to the family member. She had kidney failure and lung failure. There were many times when doctors were unsure whether she would make it through the night. More than two years after entering a coma, Aminy got pneumonia. On Aug. 11, 2007, she died, never having regained consciousness.

The family member was disturbed to learn about the praise of Rajagopal on the Internet, and angered about the concept of astroturfing, particularly when linked with medicine. "It's not like a hairstylist," she says. "People's lives are in their hands. ... Somebody else could die, too."

Looking back over the rave reviews of Rajagopal, there's one exchange on Gynecomastia.org that may demonstrate the power of anonymous postings. Several users are relating their wonderful experiences with Rajagopal, and even urging others to travel from afar to see her. It was apparently enough to convince another user, "GPYY," that Rajagopal was the doctor for him.

"Thanks to the website and the support of this community, I finally decided to do something about my gyne," GPYY proudly announced. "I had my pre-op with Dr. Rajagopal yesterday and have a scheduled date of June 24th for the surgery...WISH ME LUCK!!!"

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vs0522
vs0522

I am a patient of Dr. Rajagopal's, and my review of her on ratemds was quoted above,  starting "Finally I have found a good plastic surgeon".  I have had 15 surgeries with her to fix other doctors' mistakes, and she is the best one I have been to.  She has made me hopeful that one day I will have my life back.  I was suicidal at times before I met her.   I am very sorry about what happened to her other patient, but my experience with Dr. Rajagopal has been very different.  

The other doctors I had surgery with are truly monsters, and they are all board certified.  The first one, who teaches other doctors at Stanford, operated on more than a dozen of the wrong parts of my body, including the wrong leg.  He operated on my knees for no reason and without consent, causing my kneecaps to dislocate.  My knees were perfect before.  

The second doctor did the least amount of damage, but he is the sickest because he DELIBERATELY damaged me in surgery.  He was angry because I asked him to do the procedure a little differently than he usually did, because I felt that I would get the best results.  At first he said no, so I cancelled the surgery.  He then changed his mind, but was apparently pushed out of shape that he was not the all powerful god-like doctor who made all the decisions.  So what he did was the medical equivalent of a waiter spitting in your soup- he made a large dent on my inner thigh right near my crotch.  It was essentially surgical rape, and before he did it he put me under anesthesia, even though I had only agreed to have it done while I was conscious and with only an epidural.  

The third one caused extensive disfigurement & sciatic nerve pain.  When I gave him a negative review on ratemds, he called me and threatened me with physical harm if I didn't remove it.  He then started posting that I wasn't a former patient, I was a former employee who stole drugs from him, I was a drug addict and an extortionist.  All totally made up.  He posted my full name, home address & phone number, all HIPAA violations.  He then posted fake negative reviews of my business, saying I was a con artist , a fraud, a mental patient.  He has never been a client of mine.  He then had his wife file a phony restraining order against me in Los Angeles, saying I threatened to kill her and her children.  I never even knew he had a wife & kids until I was served.  I had to fly to LA from SFO at my expense to fight this, and it was dismissed for lack of evidence, because it never happened.  This psychopath then sued ME for defamation.  I filed a counter suit, and just a few weeks ago he agreed to settle.  

There are so many sociopaths in medicine, especially plastic surgery, it is scary.  The medical board did nothing about these doctors.  I have spent the last 11 years working 7 days a week to pay for the 28 surgeries I have had.  It has cost me more than $220K, and I still need more.  To hear the details of what the first doctor did to me legally, google "Judge Leslie Nichols - Incompetent or Corrupt".

 
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