Anil Kesani, MD, a spine surgeon in Fort Worth, Texas, publicly pushed back against a malpractice claim that led to him being branded as “Dr. Death 2.0,” by the media, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Kesani is embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit brought by Lesa Swanson in 2019. She alleges that in 2016, Kesani misplaced four screws during the second of two spinal-fusion surgeries (the first one was completed without incident), and then lied about the complication, blaming it on her “abnormal spinal anatomy,” according to a 2020 judicial memorandum opinion, for a related case, on Casetext.com.
She also alleges that a follow-up procedure on day 1 after the initial surgery left her without feeling in her right foot, her right calf, and part of her right thigh. Swanson also alleges that she has been unable to work, travel, or live as she did pre-surgery.
Kesani asserted to the Star-Telegram that “I am 100% honest with my patients, I am transparent with them, I truly care about their well being. What Ms. Swanson has done is portrayed me as being dishonest, nontransparent and reckless. Which is not the case at all.”
He told the newspaper that the screws were misplaced during the initial surgery, and this common complication was flagged and corrected within 24 hours. The follow-up surgery was successful and, as a result, Swanson would not have been left with permanent damage, Kesani told the newspaper.
Kesani was initially advised not to comment on the ongoing litigation by his legal counsel, but he told the newspaper that his practice and family have taken a hit from media reports, particularly comparisons between Kesani and Christopher Duntsch, MD. The latter is a Texas-based former neurosurgeon dubbed “Dr. Death” after he injured or maimed dozens of patients, and killed two of them. Duntsch is now serving a life sentence in a Texas prison.
Kesani’s spouse, Shaily Kesani, MD, is a dermatologist and told the Star-Telegram in an email that the “amount of stress it [media coverage] caused on us was inexplicable and trying to raise a young family all while being branded ‘Dr. Death 2.0’ is just so devastating.”
Kesani’s attorney, Casey Campbell, JD, of Schell Cooley Campbell, told the Star-Telegram that he believes Swanson took advantage of an initial complication from the surgery, and decided to sue for personal gain. Campbell also reported that surveillance footage obtained by his defense team shows Swanson engaging in activities that she claims she can no longer do.
Campbell said Kesani was unavailable for further comment at press time, but told MedPage Today in an email that it was important for Kesani to speak out as a reminder that every story has two sides.
“Alleged medical malpractice cases often make the news,” Campbell wrote. “One of the difficulties for healthcare providers who find themselves as defendants in those cases is that they are still obligated to certain confidentiality requirements, and it can be exceptionally difficult to defend yourself in the court of public opinion when you’re not allowed to tell the entire story.”
Swanson’s attorney, Todd Smith, JD, of the Todd Smith Law Firm, stated in court filings that Swanson has not been able to return to work because of “Dr. Kesani’s negligence and Mrs. Swanson’s subsequent pain and multiple disabilities,” according to the newspaper. Smith could not be reached by MedPage Today for further comment at press time.
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