Iowa Doctor Fined $5,000 for Gross Malpractice, Will no Longer Perform Surgery

A former Cedar Rapids, Iowa, brain and spine surgeon who was accused of gross malpractice has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and refrain from performing surgery.

David Segal reached a settlement with the Iowa Board of Medicine, according to the Des Moines Register.

The board, which licenses physicians, filed administrative charges against him in 2015 alleging that he failed to prevent “excessive infections” among his patients and that he used an inappropriate technique to manage leaking spinal fluid after operations. The board also accused Segal of failing to arrange to have another doctor care for his patients when he was absent.

The board said in a statement that Segal, 50, stopped performing surgery last May, because parkinsonism made his hands unsteady.

“Dr. Segal continues to provide non-surgical medical services including, but not limited to, medical consultations, medical record reviews and independent medical examinations,” the board wrote.

In addition to paying the fine, Segal agreed to training in professional ethics. He also repaid $11,580 in overpayments he had received for services, the board said.

Segal’s lawyer, Guy Cook, said the doctor denies providing poor medical care but agreed to settle the case to avoid further legal costs. Cook said Segal voluntarily stopped performing surgeries in an abundance of caution because of his health issues.

“Dr. David Segal is a highly trained and well respected physician,” Cook said in an email to the Register. “`He has successfully performed thousands of surgeries, including brain surgery. His superior skill as a neurosurgeon is well documented.”