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Doctor sued for 'branding' patient's uterus
Dr. Red Alinsod is being sued for engraving his patient's name on her uterus.
A California gynecologist is being sued for branding a patient's name on her uterus using an "electrocautery device."
Dr. Red Alinsod removed Ingrid Paulicivic's uterus during an operation at his Orange County office in 2006, according to the complaint posted on The Smoking Gun's website. The Laguna Beach doctor carved "Ingrid" on the organ, according to the site, because he "did not want to get it confused with others."
Alinsod told the site that labeling of body parts in that manner is not typical. But, he said, he "felt comfortable putting her name on the uterus" since the 47-year-old hairdresser was a "good friend."
Paulicivic's attorney, Devan Mullins, told CNN.com that his client did not know her physician before consulting him for the operation. Paulicivic and her husband learned of the branding during a follow-up visit, the lawyer said.
During that visit, Paulicivic complained to Alinsod about burns to her leg that she suffered during the operation, Mullins told CNN.com. The doctor was looking at images that were taken during the operation, and the couple asked for copies.
"Alinsod hesitated to give them the photos," the attorney said, sparking the couple's suspicion that something was wrong. The doctor told the couple that he didn't know how to copy the images, so the husband, who is a photographer, showed Alinsod how to move the images to a memory card, and the couple took them, Mullins said.
Later in the husband's office, the couple looked at the photos and were shocked to see "Ingrid" spelled out in inch-high letters on her uterus.
"They reacted like anyone would react - 'Oh my God, I cannot believe this happened,' " the lawyer said.
The couple hired Mullins, who tried for 90 days to notify Alinsod of an impending complaint, but the doctor did not react. "That's what's been odd - that we've gotten no response from him whatsoever," Mullins said.
CNN.com spoke with Alinsod's office manager Tuesday, who said that the physician was seeing patients and that he would not comment on the litigation.
According to Alinsod's website, he formerly headed gynecologic services at George Air Force Base in California and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. He was affectionately called a "Combat Gynecologist" by his colleagues, it says.
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Reminds me of a Kids in the Hall skit where a doctor took out a guy's appendix, and the suture looked like a swastika.
It would only have made sense if he had put her entire name on there. There could have been numerous women with the name ingrid. He was just acting like a moron, still thinking he was in college or something.
Ingrid is right! He should have engraved a nice paisley design with her initials in script! Much more tasteful.
Sick and Wrong. This is just wrongsick, but is it illegal? Unethical maybe, even that's debatable.
All Surgeons (even OB/GYNs) get bored after a while, doing the same procedure again and again. The doc who removed my gall bladder admitted that he tries to set a speed record every time he removes one. This OB/GYN just had some brain gas for a second..., temporary insanity. It's not ego, or he would have engraved his OWN name on the organ. Perhaps this is a new method of funding California and it's weird ways. California needs a new state motto on it's license plates: 'ONLY IN CALIFORNIA!'
Send all removed uteri (engraved or not) to; http://www.hersfoundation.org/anatomy. The feminists will assure the uteri are properly disposed of... on a flaming pyre of male OB/Gyne bodies.
... and engraved penises (attached or not).
With the current trend for tattooing everything available, I would think there is an additional charge for electrocautery engraving of a uterus.
I DID look at his website "http://urogyn.org/physician.html" and see no disdain for women at all.
This was a reply to Nora's comment " If you go to Alinsod's website you will see his disdain for women. Branding a patients uterus is another manifestation of his disregard and disrespect for women. "
What are your damages, lady? Make a complaint to the medical board if you are upset, but if you haven't been damaged monetarily then there should not be a lawsuit. People like you are part of the problem in this litigation happy society. He was probably using the oportunity to practice with his cautery thing to improve his skills. Get over yourself.
I think this is no big deal. I would only be offended or threat to sue if he wrote something like the ugly lady second operation of the day on Sept 18th. haha or any other unflattering adjective.
This is news? There was nothing more important than this to report? It isn't a crime. There was no harm/injury, so....I say again... This is news?
As a trial attorney, I'm really, really embarrassed that there's some bottom-feeder with a license out there who would file a civil action in this setting – – one where, as I see it, neither the woman nor her husband has suffered any legally cognizable or compensable damages. I'm reminded of a small plaque displayed in my office: "99% of the lawyers make the rest of us look bad." And by the way: I defend criminal cases in the federal courts, and it's jackals like these (attorney and client[s]) that long ago made me realize I want no part of this game.
Alert! Any woman who has been seen by this man should go to a private Physician and have an image of their uterus observed. Most likely the woman in the article is not the only victim. What a Ba*st*a*rd. A number of military women should wake up and seek a check up with a private GYN as well. What an animal to burn this woman legs and brand her uterus. Well, he can only settle so many out of court before the handcuffs are placed on him as a criminal. It is time to gather evidence and show this unethical jerk of a GYN for what he is, permanently remove his license, and sue his malpractice pants off until he feels the pain that he caused these women and their families for a lifetime.
Do you realize the uterus was removed from the woman during her surgery?
There is no danger that the state board will pull his license or "his" insurance companies will drop him. He will keep branding and butchering people as he feels like it.
I personally think that this lawsuit, and this story are utterly stupid. Who gives a care about him branding her uterus! I really like the point of the one person who said "maybe he was showing technique to a junior". We really can't comment without knowing all the facts, and I think we can all agree that this story is sorely lacking all the facts. One issue I take with the comments is the seeming need to "pull his license". This man has worked hard, and for years, to get and maintain his license, and I see no prior issues listed in this story (which I am sure they would list if there were any). Doctor's, nurses, NP's, PA's, etc. etc. etc are licensed by the respective boards of their states, and in order to find out about a professional's license all one needs to do is search the state board website. I am going under the assumption that he has no other issues under his license, so this would be a censure, maybe probation at best. Pulling the license of a doctor is a very difficult thing to do (remember the doctor who allegedly killed Michael Jackson is still a licensed cardiologist). These people work VERY hard to get their licenses and this mistake in judgement is not a solid reason for him to lose his license!