Court Declines to Reinstate License of Plastic Surgeon
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SANTA ANA — An Orange County Superior Court commissioner refused Thursday to reinstate the medical license of a plastic surgeon accused of negligence in the death of a woman after 10 1/2 hours of surgery.
Commissioner F. Latimer Gould issued the temporary restraining order in May, preventing Dr. William Earle Matory Jr. from practicing. Matory’s attorney, Lloyd Charton, acknowledged his chances of getting the judge to reverse himself Thursday were slim.
Matory and anesthesiologist Robert Hoo have been accused of negligence in the March 17 death of Judy Fernandez, 47, of La Habra, who bled to death after the marathon operation, according to an autopsy.
When Gould issued the restraining order in May, he said public health and safety would be jeopardized if Matory and Hoo continued practicing. A California Medical Board hearing is underway to determine whether their licenses will be revoked permanently.
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