MDLinx$100M for Botched Circumcision—Has This Doctor’s 33-year Reign of Terror Finally Come to an End?

A recent $100 million verdict in Palm Beach County highlights critical concerns about medical oversight and patient safety. The case involves Dr. Berto Lopez, whose 33-year career included multiple malpractice allegations, culminating in a severe circumcision injury that occurred days after his medical license was voted to be revoked by the Florida Board of Medicine.

Key Points:

• The $100 million verdict stems from a 2021 circumcision where Dr. Lopez severed a significant portion of an infant’s penis, including the urethra. The procedure was performed 10 days after the Florida Board of Medicine voted to revoke his license.
• Over his 33-year career, Dr. Lopez accumulated 14 serious malpractice allegations, including six patient deaths. Cases involved maternal mortalities, delayed cesarean sections resulting in infant disabilities, and surgical complications.
• A pivotal case involved the 2017 death of Onystei Castillo-Lopez, age 40, from postpartum hemorrhage. While under practice restrictions, Dr. Lopez attempted cervical tear repairs in a hospital suite rather than an operating room and failed to perform a necessary hysterectomy.
• Documentation shows Dr. Lopez consistently failed to disclose his license restrictions to patients, including both the Castillo-Lopez family and the family of the infant in the $100 million case.
• The case exposed significant delays in regulatory enforcement, as Dr. Lopez continued practicing after the Board voted to revoke his license, leading to additional patient harm.

In 2023, state medical and osteopathic boards issued 6,469 disciplinary board actions to 3,016 physicians. (FSMB.org)

More on Malpractice