A dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon is facing seven medical malpractice lawsuits, including one that alleges she left a patient severely brain damaged and completely dependent on others for care. Dr. Windell Boutte has now become infamous as videos emerged of her dancing and rapping during operations on patients.
Catastrophic Brain Injury
Icilma Cornelius visited Dr. Boutte’s medical spa and cosmetic surgery center to get Botox and facial treatments before her wedding. While there the doctor talked her into more invasive cosmetic surgery, including liposuction and a tummy tuck procedure. Cornelius was in surgery for eight hours when her heart stopped. The medical office was unequipped to deal with the emergency situation, and had to call an ambulance.
The paramedics were able to get the patient’s heart started again, but there were delays in getting her into the ambulance and to the hospital. By the time she was admitted she had already suffered from extensive brain damage from the lack of oxygen while her heart had stopped. She now lives with serious disabilities and can no longer live independently.
Family Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
The woman’s family has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Boutte on her behalf, claiming multiple incidents of negligence that could have been avoided. For instance, the family claims that the doctor did not provide general anesthesia. Cornelius was given medications, including fentanyl, for the procedure instead. The doctor also did not use monitoring equipment during the procedure.
The medical office in which Dr. Boutte performed the procedure is not licensed for surgery and the doctor did not have admitting privileges at any area hospitals. When the patient underwent cardiac arrest at the end of the procedure, the nurse anesthetist who was monitoring her had already left the room. The delay in getting Cornelius to the hospital, according to her family, was a result of the doctor spending another 30 minutes stitching up the incision.
Deposition and Settlement
The son of the patient, Ojay Liburd, settled his lawsuit against Dr. Boutte, but the amount has not been made public. During the deposition, the doctor had several excuses for her actions and inactions during the procedure and was informed that Cornelius’s ongoing care would cause several million dollars. It was also determined during the deposition that, although Dr. Boutte claims on her website to be certified in surgery, she is in fact only board certified in dermatology. As of the present date, Dr. Boutte is still allowed to practice.
Dancing Videos on YouTube Anger Patients
Another issue has been raised in the many cases against Dr. Boutte. It has been found that she posted several videos to YouTube that show her dancing, rapping, and singing while operating on her patients. There are more than 20 videos, and some of them show her dancing and singing while actually making incisions in patients.
The videos, according to patients who have filed lawsuits against the doctor, illustrate her disregard for patient safety, quality of procedures, and basic standards of care. Two other plaintiffs describe having agreed to undergo Smart Lipo, a laser liposuction procedure, only to recover from the procedure to find that Dr. Boutte performed traditional liposuction and left them looking disfigured. Their cases are ongoing.
While the doctor does not have to be certified in surgery to perform the surgical procedures in her office, patients are left damaged and in some cases brain damaged because of her lack of professionalism and other errors. With many cases against her ongoing and complaints to the state medical board, it remains to be seen whether she will be disciplined.