Laguna Hills Foot Doctor’s License Is Revoked

The medical license of a Laguna Hills foot doctor was revoked after an investigation by the Medical Board of California determined that his examination of a 12-year-old girl constituted “gross negligence, incompetence and sexual abuse,” officials announced Tuesday.

During a free analysis in July, 1991, podiatrist Michael Fanous told a 12-year-old girl, who was seeking medical attention for her feet, to take off her shorts and underwear, according to a decision adopted earlier this month by the state Board of Podiatric Medicine.

In doing the examination, the doctor touched the child’s genitals with his hand and his instruments, according to the decision.

“It was a gross violation in the standard of care,” said Jim Rathlesberger, executive officer of the state Board of Podiatric Medicine.

Fanous, who refused to comment on the case, denied at an earlier hearing that he touched the girl inappropriately, but a judge ruled that his testimony “was not credible” and it was not necessarily corroborated by his medical assistant or office manager.

Evan Ginsberg, Fanous’ attorney, said Tuesday he planned to appeal the decision within a month.

“He conducted a standard exam,” Ginsberg said. “You can’t just let a man’s life be ripped apart over this single incident.”

As of April 7, Fanous will be unable to practice podiatry in California, and notices of the board’s decision will be sent to other state medical boards, Rathlesberger said. The girl was apparently the only patient who reported that the podiatrist had touched her inappropriately.

The girl’s parents learned of details of the examination after the girl started crying hysterically on another visit to the doctor. The parents sued the doctor, and it led to an investigation.

Since 1988, 17 podiatrists have had their licenses revoked, but none involved sexual misconduct as far as Rathlesberger can remember. Thirty-four others are on probation, among them a doctor who conducted a breast exam before removing a wart on a woman’s toe, Rathlesberger said.