150 Women Suing Florida Plastic Surgeon For Botched Breast Surgery

In October of last year, three women filed lawsuits against Dr. Loren Clayman for allegedly botching their breast surgeries. According to the women, they required multiple follow-up surgeries to fix the damage, leaving them disfigured and scarred. Over the past few months, more than 150 more women have come forward with similar claims against Dr. Clayman.

The first group of women had similar, painful stories. They went to Dr. Clayman for breast implants or reductions. One of the women, Amber Fuentes, initially went in for a breast reduction. After the surgery, Clayman told Fuentes that she would require additional surgeries. In the end, she underwent five surgeries, and ended up with breasts that were larger, despite going in for a breast reduction.

Another woman, Amber Thigpen, went in for breast implants. After the surgery, Dr. Clayman told her that the implant had leaked and she needed additional surgery, but the implant manufacturer would only pay a portion of the fees. She went through five surgeries with Dr. Clayman before she finally gave up.

Since October, more than 150 more women have come forward with similar claims against Dr. Clayman. They report Dr. Clayman was requiring multiple surgeries, leaving them in constant pain, disfiguring scars, and disfigured breasts.

An attorney representing a majority of the women, Chris Shakib, has questioned whether the multiple follow-up surgeries were necessary, or motivated by money. Clayman allegedly sought reimbursement from the breast implant manufacturer for faulty implants. Shakib is seeking records related to Dr. Clayman’s reported failure rates. “Just from the few cases we’ve seen,” Shakib said, “the failure rate seems to be very high.”

Many women with botched breast surgeries are hesitant to speak out and file a lawsuit for medical malpractice. Many of the patients feel ashamed and embarrassed. “It’s embarrassing,” said Amber Fuentes, “but I know the whole thing needs to get out there.” Telling her story has helped other patients come forward.

The Jacksonville, Florida plastic surgeon, along with his son Mark Clayman now face more than 160 medical malpractice complaints and potential lawsuits. According to an article in the Florida Times-Union, each of the women reported waking up from surgery saying their breasts were much larger than they expected, and were uneven.

“It seems like he took advantage of girls our age,” said Holly Bentley. At 21 years old, she went in for breast implants, and ended up with breasts much larger that what she wanted, and had to go through 4 surgeries with Dr. Clayman.

In an interview with News4Jax, Shakib related the extreme increases in breast size the women would wake up with. “They ask for a C cup they come back with a DD, an E, sometimes an F; much larger than they’ve ever asked for,” said Shakib. “Some women I’ve spoken with have had as many as 10 repeat surgeries in just a few years.”

If you or a loved one is suffering pain and disfigurement from a plastic surgery operation, your doctor may be liable for your injuries. A medical malpractice claim may allow you to recover monetary damages for your medical bills, pain, and suffering. At Gilman & Bedigian we have been fighting for medical malpractice victims for decades, with a focus on getting you the compensation you deserve, so you can get better and move forward with your life.