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CB Hospitals and Clinics Cleveland Clinic dr. jihad kaouk - medical care/medical malpractice
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Cleveland Clinic review: dr. jihad kaouk - medical care/medical malpractice 4

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I am one of many permanently harmed patients, many requiring corrective and emergency lifesaving surgery, who filed complaints with the Ohio Medical Board, CMS, Joint Commission, State and Federal Courts. CMS investigation of Jihad Kaouk's surgery schedule "revealed on 01/18/2010 [Jihad Kaouk] was scheduled to start surgery at 7:30AM and 7:35AM and on 01/19/2010 at 7:25AM, 7:30AM, 12:39PM and 12:41PM." At the time, Kaouk was not board certified, not credentialed, and not privileged to use the da Vinci as cited by CMS. The student doctors under his supervision, not authorized to perform these surgeries, were also not credentialed or privileged. Kaouk was cited for refusing to respond to federal investigators questions. In contradiction to the 95-99% positive outcomes represented to his patients before surgery, he stated to CMS investigators that "only one third" of his patients recovered function. Kaouk represented an Iowa Medical License on CMS documents. The Iowa Medical Board wrote he not did possess, nor did he meet their minimum requirements, for an Iowa medical license. Under oath, Kaouk falsely claimed to be board certified in his home country and board eligible in the US. Both claims were contradicted by the Arab Board of Urology and the American Board of Urology. Volume experience, surgical outcomes, and claimed credentials represented to patients, on websites, and on documents were falsely exaggerated. Kaouk was a paid lecturer, consultant, and proctor for Intuitive Surgical, a conflict of interest he did not represent to his patients. He did not tell his patients that he was "performing" surgery on more than one patient at the same time. Ghost surgeries were concealed from patients with “copy and paste” generic Op Notes written in 3rd person not identifying who performed the surgery. Op notes falsely stated minimal blood loss and no complications. When asked to provide evidence that he was present at any time during my devastating surgery, Kaouk and the Cleveland Clinic refused. Surgical time out, same day surgery consent (falsified), surgeon's attestation (blank), OR log, and audit report provide no evidence Kaouk was ever present during my surgery. He called my wife by telephone to tell her he "had trouble and got stuck" but then refused to provide any explanation to her. I am one of a "staggering number" of patients permanently harmed by Kaouk. Google "CLEVELAND CLINIC CASES HIGHLIGHT FLAWS IN SAFETY OVERSIGHT" and read links to the actual reports citing federal violations of Patient's Rights, Informed Consent, Medical Records, Credentialing, Privileging, Operating Room Fires and Patient Burns not reported or documented, Concealment of foreign objects left in patients, and more. Be Well! Be Safe! BEWARE!

4 comments
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munich1978
, US
Feb 17, 2020 12:31 am EST

Kaouk is a scumbag. He even posts his own positive reviews.

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David K. Lord
, US
Dec 13, 2018 8:45 am EST

12/13/2018
Hello:

Because patients must be able to rely on their physicians to act in good faith and in their best interest, " the common law treats the duties owed by doctors to patients as "fiduciary" in nature. Ohio doctors can prescribe only seven days of opioids for adults in acute pain, under new rules that begin Thursday. Children are limited to five days. The rules, announced in March and reiterated Wednesday by state medical leaders and Gov. John Kasich, are an attempt to curb dependence on the drugs. Aug 30, 2017. Good idea, but what about chronic pain patients who have medical evidence to support their treatment and diagnosed disease.
I hope you can help. It is very scary to have a PCP insist that pain management has to be done in an ER. Especially when they tell me I will have this condition for the rest of my life. The following is a summary of my experiences and concerns to date. It is my understanding a law governing medical abandonment entailing failure to provide necessary care within the physician-patient relationship is essential for a physician to fulfill their duty to provide such care. This leaves me to conclude that I maybe a patient not receiving the appropriate treatments.
I am writing to you in the hope that something can be rectified on my behalf. I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in the summer of 2017 by my PCP. After testing concurred and with the doctors initial diagnosis no follow up treatment was implemented. He refused to write any prescriptions for pain. At that time I had private insurance with limited benefits. Without his concern for follow up I decided not to pursue any further consultation with this clinician. Not to long after, I proceeded to seek another physician, however with no improved outcome. So from [protected], I have been forced to go and on occasion be admitted to a hospital to relieve my pain. I believe it has been six times thus far. Repeated morphine and other pain medication utilizing additional cost reoccurrence by repeating the same tests done on each visit. My research shows me a PCP should help provide pain relief in the treatment options by utilization of lower dose opioids. The Ohio and federal law provides a physician the affordability to dispense such medication. Especially when I was advised that my condition would be with me for the rest of my life. I have been seen by three other physicians since my hospital stay due to my PCP not being available for a visit. The doctors prescribed Creon and Neurontin to aid in the treatment. I thought there was no treatment plan!
My complaint, since it was event on my last day in the hospital between on November 24, that someone other than in doctor with common sense helped me with after care medication. A nurse practitioner on my medical team at the hospital had done such and provided a script for a five day opioid (Tramadol) to take home in case I had a relapse after discharge sounds reasonable and far less expensive to me.
By this refusal of out-patient treatment I have been forced to be treated in a hospital setting only for on- going pain. It has cost me and the Medicaid insurance agency approximately $70, 000 dollars so far. My Medicaid insurance expired November 30, 2018 leaving me uninsured until January 1st of 2019 in which I will be utilizing purchased private insurance. With a high premium and a restricted budget it leaves me in peril if alternative treatment cannot be provided. I have spoken with my PCP on numerous occasions and it is the same response every time, “I cannot and will not prescribe pain medication, you would have to go to the emergency room”, absolutely ludacris! With chronic pancreatitis and lingering pain issues for the rest of my life I need an advocate. Under the current guidelines I have read and the information I received from the NP there should be no question as to what the patient needs. I could write further and if more information or documents are needed I would be glad to provide them.
I had pain starting to generate on Tuesday 12/11, I took my medications and decided to see my pain management specialist working for Cleveland Clinic at Euclid Hospital in Euclid, Ohio. He advised me he will not prescribe anything because he cannot afford to have his license put in jeopardy. He prescribed Neurontin increased the dose and advised me to seek my gastroenterologist for further treatment. And suggested he would be referring me to a Chronic Pain Foundation. This doctor has my medical diagnosis and still refused to help treat me with something more potent than Tylenol claiming it would do further damage to my pancreas. Obviously, he hasn’t read the guidelines and law pertaining to dispensing appropriate medications. I cannot understand how a specialist who charges 500-600.00 dollars for short visit, then violate a persons quality of life situation. It is an ethical and legal right to receive quality care, I have not so far! I am at a dead end until another episode and a trip to the ER costing thousands of dollars instead were treatment could be provide by a so called specialistinstead or help from an advocate.
A survey shows doctors shunning chronic pain -patients. ... "I have been told by more than one doctor that they cannot legally prescribe over the guidelines. They are very concerned about being investigated and as a result refuse to treat pain with an appropriate dose of opioids, " said another patient. Moreover, "We have two problems in the U.S. a drug addiction problem and a chronic pain problem. We should not be attempting to treat one problem if that will also create a worsening problem in those that suffer from the other, " a primary care doctor wrote "We need to work on a solution to the addiction problem while still allowing those with chronic pain that need the opioids in order to sustain an acceptable quality of life." I questioned my dentist about the failure to help pain. He stated that he writes them all the time nobody should be in pain. As you read the hundreds of letters you would be horrified. What’s next, no pain relief for terminal patient’s. The public should be out raged any of us could be next.

David K. Lord…12/12/18
Acute on chronic pancreatitis patient

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dhamrock@bellsouth.net
, US
Dec 01, 2017 9:34 pm EST

I concur. Dr Kaouk is dishonest and a con man.

I brought my father to Cleveland Clinic in September of 2017 to see Dr Kaouk and discuss laparoscopic surgery to remove his kidney cancer. He was very optimistic when we first met with him and said he could do the procedure and my father would be up and walking the day after surgery. He explained a team approach, and that my father would have to meet with an oncologist and cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic. The Cardiologist approved my father for surgery and a biopsy. And the Oncologist ordered additional tests. After 2 months and 4 visits to Cleveland Clinic from Atlanta, we were told that Dr Kaouk, who we were scheduled to see on November 28th, 2017, would be unavailable and in surgery. A doctor in residency would meet with us instead. Dr Kaouk refused to even talk to us on the phone and had the resident tell us he would not do the surgery because of my father's age. I'm not sure why we weren't told that in the beginning, before all of the time and expense of the trips to Cleveland from Atlanta, Ga. Dr Kaouk's assistant, Traci, is one of the rudest people I have ever talked to. When I tried to schedule follow up appointments by phone, I was told she was too busy and she would hang up on me or put me on a never ending hold. I am extremely disappointed that Dr Kaouk did not have the common courtesy to return our calls or meet with us in person to give us his decision about surgery. My father is devastated, as he had canceled the planned surgery scheduled for September in Dayton with his Urologist, so that Dr Kaouk could do the procedure. He is now left with very few options.

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Wendy O Koopa
, US
Dec 01, 2017 9:44 pm EST

I'm really sorry for what you guys went through but in the Islamic language jihad is war. As soon as I saw this name I immediately realized it was bad