Patty Plascencia is a business owner in Chula Vista and has been a leading real estate professional for the past 20 years. She is a mother to two beautiful daughters who are her world. One of her daughters, a biochemist, expressed her growing concern of the risk of cancer from breast implants and pleaded with Patty to have hers removed. Also concerned, Patty decided to remove her implants as a preventative measure. She scheduled a consultation with the surgeon and owner of Divino Plastic Surgery Center. Patty felt like her consultation was rushed but she believed in the positive reviews and went forward with the surgery.
In May of 2021, Patty had her implants removed and she also had a procedure done he insisted would solve her incontinence issue. Following her surgery, Patty’s breasts began to increase in size with one breast much larger than the other. She went on vacation and had to leave early as the pain from the surgical site was unbearable. Patty went back to see her surgeon to seek medical attention for her complications. Her surgeon didn’t run any tests for infection or order a scan to see if anything had gone wrong with the surgery. He just used a large needle to extract fluid from her breasts, painfully, while a nurse would just toss the liquid removed into the sink. This was just a band aid. Patty went back to her surgeon’s office several times seeking answers about why the pain and symptoms continued, but either he or his staff would again just remove fluid from her breasts and dispose of it. Her surgeon complained about the time he was spending with her and told her that he would begin to charge her for each visit. During the time that Patty continued to go to his office to seek medical attention, she had no idea that her surgeon was in the process of being charged with manslaughter for the death of another patient over two years earlier.
Left frustrated and still in pain, Patty began searching for another doctor. While outreaching to friends, one of them shared the news that her doctor had been charged with manslaughter. Patty was left in disbelief and angry that she did not have the right to know that her doctor was under investigation by the Medical Board of California and the San Diego District Attorney’s office.
Patty had no choice but to go to another surgeon and have her breast surgery repaired. She underwent a 6-hour surgery with another surgeon who repaired the damage. She still suffers from the lifelong harm of the botched and failed incontinence procedure which left her unable to void her bladder and other issues.
After learning that her doctor had been charged with a felony for the death of another patient, Patty reached out to Consumer Watchdog to help her seek accountability for the lifelong harm she has endured due to her botched surgery. The criminal charges against Patty’s physician were upgraded in April 2023 when the San Diego District Attorney filed second degree murder charges for the death of the patient who died in 2019.
Patty has testified before the Medical Board of California at its Quarterly Board meetings and before the legislature at the joint legislative committee sunset review of the medical board. Patty has testified in support of more transparency on the medical board website.
Patty feels completely let down by the current regulatory board system. She wants the Medical Board to provide transparency to patients like her by clearly listing criminal charges, especially those linked to patient care, on a physician’s profile. She also wants better protections from doctors under investigation by the Medical Board for causing a death, because those investigations take too many years to become public. Had the Medical Board been transparent with the public about her surgeon’s background, Patty would have had the tools she needed to make the right decision for herself and avoid a life of lifelong pain and harm. This is one of many reasons why Patty is committed to medical board reform.
