Manhattan OB/GYN Doctor Faces Charges

An OB/GYN doctor in upper Manhattan is facing malpractice charges and stands accused of severely burning a woman who had gone to him for a liposuction procedure.

The New York Daily News reports that the woman had gone to Dr. Muruga Raj looking to have the extra weight she had gained after giving birth removed via laser liposuction surgery. During the procedure, Raj allegedly scorched the woman and caused her to suffer severe burns and scarring.

The victim of the alleged malpractice says that Raj knew that he was causing her harm and burning her skin layer by layer but continued with the procedure. And when the woman wanted to go to a local hospital to be treated for her burn injuries, the doctor allegedly tried to prevent her from doing so, according to The Daily News.

During the procedure, Raj allegedly stepped away to pay for a Chinese food delivery order to his office, leaving the woman undergoing the liposuction on the operating table while he did it. The day after the procedure - after being bandaged and given medication for pain - the woman returned to Raj's office complaining of severe pain and inflammation.

The laser liposuction device the doctor used for this procedure is known as the Lipotherme. It's manufactured by Osyris Medical, of Texas. The Daily News cites a source who says that this liposuction device can be purchased by any type of doctor but is usually reserved for cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists. There are no regulations against any other doctor using the device.

Raj, after he purchased the liposuction device, took just one mandatory training course to learn how to use it and then began using it in his practice.