Evil Surgeon

Celebrity surgeon struck off over sex incident - National - smh.com.au

A celebrity plastic surgeon who engaged in oral sex with a patient in his surgery, is to be struck off for at least two years, the Medical Tribunal decided today.

Martyn Mendelsohn, 50, is an ear, nose and throat specialist who appeared on the television program RPA.

The tribunal found his dealings with a woman he was treating for a nose condition amounted to "professional misconduct".

The knowledge, skill, judgment or care he showed her was "significantly below the standard reasonably expected of a practitioner" with his experience and training, it said.

The tribunal also made the same findings in relation to a second incident, in which Dr Mendelsohn was accused of failing to conduct an appropriate pre-operative assessment of a female patient, failing to organise for her to be properly monitored while under sedation, and of discharging her without an adequate recovery period.

Dr Mendelsohn has had to have an observer present for all consultations since May 2005, when the alleged incidents occurred.

He had told the tribunal the patient kissed him, placed his hand on her breast and proceeded to perform oral sex on him.

"I lost my composure. Instead of thinking about right and wrong, I just froze. I could feel myself unable to move at all ... It all seemed fairly quick."

But the patient had said she had been injected with a substance, believed to be an anaesthetic.

Then she felt Dr Mendelsohn kiss her and touch her breast before the sexual incident occurred.

She alleged he had said: "Don't worry, you won't have to pay for this or any other surgeries."

The tribunal ordered he be struck off the register of medical practitioners from December 29 to allow him to finalise the affairs of his practice. He will not be allowed to apply for re-registration for two years.

He graduated from Sydney University and worked at the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry and Royal Prince Alfred hospitals.

He lectured at Sydney University and published journal articles and chapters in medical textbooks.

He served as the president of the Australasian academy of facial plastic surgeons and served on a Government committee.