AN AMERICAN doctor at the centre of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit being taken by the family of a Limerick woman, who died after undergoing plastic surgery at his clinic, has been struck off the register of physicians in the state of New York.
Dr Michael Evans Sachs, who operated a clinic at Central Park South in New York, is being sued by the family of Kay Cregan (42) from Croom, Co Limerick.
The mother of two died on March 17th, 2005, three days after undergoing a facelift at Dr Sach's clinic. Since Ms Cregan's death, it has emerged that Dr Sachs has been involved in more than 30 malpractice cases since 1995.
It was revealed yesterday that the New York surgeon, who recently sold a townhouse in Manhattan for $35 million, had been struck off by the New York State Board for Professional Medical Misconduct after an investigation into his care of four patients who underwent facial plastic surgery at his clinic.
The board found that in all cases, Dr Sach had failed to assure appropriate pre-operative medical clearance and post-operative monitoring.
Dr Sachs did not contest the charges and agreed to surrender his licence to practise medicine, which was issued to him by the New York State Education Department in 1977.
In the surrender order, which was released yesterday, the plastic surgeon said he understood that the New York Board for Professional Misconduct had charged him with professional misconduct and he did not contest the charge insofar as it was outlined in the statement of charges.
According to this statement, Dr Sachs was negligent on more than one occasion when he performed facial plastic surgery on four patients, including Ms Cregan, between March 29th, 2004, and April 7th, 2006.
Ms Cregan died three days after undergoing facelift surgery at Dr Sachs' Manhattan clinic.
She collapsed in a recovery room of the Manhattan clinic and died after she was transferred to the nearby St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital.
Her husband, Liam, who had not known about her intention to have the surgery, rushed to her bedside from Limerick and was present when the life-support machine was turned off.
Ms Cregan was a senior executive with Limerick City Council and she and her husband had two young sons.
Family lawyer Thomas Moore is suing Dr Sachs on behalf of Mr Cregan and his sons and the civil action is due to begin next September.
Speaking recently about the case, Mr Moore said there was no cap on damages in New York.
"We will be looking for quite a bit of money. We are talking in the millions of dollars at least. Parental loss to children is regarded in cases such as this as a very significant matter," he said.
Ms Cregan had paid Dr Sachs $32,000 for her procedure.