Surgery (General) Expert Witnesses: 32

Elbridge F. Bills, MD, FACOG, is a board certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of clinical experience in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Bills is a graduate of Emory Medical School and received a Master's degree in Metabolic & Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida.

With a full-time practice caring for and managing low and high risk pregnancies and deliveries, Dr. Bills also has an active gynecological practice including hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic procedures. He is licensed in both Georgia and Florida.

Dr. Bills is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bills offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. He is available for cases involving medical malpractice and other OB-GYN related injuries. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Normal & High Risk Pregnancies Hysteroscopic Gynecology Laparoscopic Gynecology Reconstructive and Robotic Surgery

Gynecological Ultrasound Integrative Medicine Hormone Therapy Testosterone Therapy

Keith R. Brookenthal, MD, has an exclusive practice in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery. With over 24 years of experience, Dr. Brookenthal is a Fellowship-trained Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon, Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Litigation Support - Dr. Brookenthal offers expert witness services for attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Pediatric Surgical Standard of Care Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma Pediatric Orthopedic Sports Medicine Pediatric Orthopedic Arthroscopy Pediatric Tumor

Delayed Diagnosis Cancer Compartment Syndrome Pediatric Deformity Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) Pediatric Scoliosis

Duane M. Bryant MD, MS, is a seasoned Ophthalmologist certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Bryant has over 30 years of clinical and surgical experience with Cataracts, Glaucoma, Laser Surgery For Glaucoma, Laser Surgery for Diabetic Retinopathy, Laser Surgery for Central Vein Occlusion and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion, and Intravitreal Avastin Injections.

Regularly participating in Continuing Medical Education courses, Dr. Bryant's expertise is cutting edge. In 2014 alone, he attended the Retinal Physician Symposium, the Kiawah Eye Meeting, the Diabetic Retinopathy and Vein Occlusion, and Current Concepts in Ophthalmology. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Bryant has been involved in expert witness, peer chart review, and IME work for over 10 years. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense.

Consultative / Forensic Experience:

Cataract Surgery Glaucoma Laser Surgery Ocular Trauma

Diabetic Retinopathy (Medical and Laser Treatment) Vein Occlusion (Medical and Laser Treatment) Life Care Planning for cases of Visual Impairment See Case Descriptions

Clive M. Segil, MD, FACS, FRCS is an internationally renowned Orthopedic Surgeon with 45 years of experience in the management of Musculoskeletal Disorders. He practices orthopedic surgery, treating all orthopedic conditions.

Dr. Segil is on the staff of Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, St Johns Hospital Medical Centre, Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

He is in active practice in the Los Angeles, with offices in Century City, Encino, Lawndale, Glendale, Lancaster, Pomona. He is a past assistant clinical professor of orthopedics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and a past Clinical Chief of Orthopedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Segil completely understands the forensic system, is comfortable and confident in presentation and trial appearance, and is not intimidated by court proceedings. He has experience in all aspects of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is familiar with the new changes in the Workers' Compensation arena, including using the AMA guidelines, the ACOEM guidelines, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery guidelines for spine problems.

Dr. Segil testifies for defense and plaintiff cases with an unbiased, erudite, understandable, and logical argument to support the facts and evidence. He has provided unbiased, detailed, ratable, and credible reports concerning injured workers and has given an honest opinion as to their condition, causation, prognosis, disability, and apportionment in a precise organized manner.

View Dr. Segil's Consulting Profile.

Yolanda Anderson, RN, BSN, CEN, CLNC is a Registered Nurse and has been working in the Emergency Department for more than 25 years. A Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with a detail-oriented approach, Ms. Anderson is knowledgeable about all aspects of Hospital Care and Standards of Care for Physicians, Nurses and Ancillary Personnel.

Ms. Anderson's background experience includes work in the Emergency Department of Los Angeles County, USC Medical Center, a level I Trauma Center and in the Emergency Department at Saint Anthony Hospital Central in Denver, Colorado, a level I Trauma Center where she helped initiate the Hyperbaric Medicine program. For 15 years, she worked as a staff RN, Charge RN and Assistant Nurse Manager in the Emergency Department at Littleton Adventist Hospital - Littleton, Colorado, a level II Trauma Center. There, she helped with the expansion and reconstruction of the current Emergency Department facility.

Ms. Anderson has been retained as an Expert 27 times. Her litigation support services include chart review for merit, chronologies, medical care research, Independent Medical Assessments, and more. Ms. Anderson's services are available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

Emergency Department Care Inpatient Hospital Care Trauma, Cardiac, Neurological Emergency Adult, Pediatric, and Infant Care

Triage & Documentation Nursing Home Care Electronic Medical Records Worker's Compensation

View Yolanda Anderson's Consulting Profile.

Eugene Strasser, MD, JD , FACS, ACLM, is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with 35+ years of experience. Dr. Strasser is a graduate of the the University of Maryland School of Medicine & The Sheppard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University. He trained at the world renowned R. Adam Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland & finished General Surgery training at York Hospital in York, PA. He completed his Plastic Surgery residency at Albany Medical Center in New York and is board certified in Plastic Surgery. Dr. Strasser's work is published in multiple professional journals & magazines and is on staff at several local hospitals. He serves as Chief of Staff at The Outpatient Surgery Center in Coral Springs, Florida.

Areas of Expertise

• Cosmetic Surgery - Face, Eyes, Brow, Nose, Ears, Lips, Neck, Breast, Body, Scalp, Extremities
• Liposuction, Breast-augmentation,lift,reduction, Body Contouring, Abdominoplasty, (Buttock,Arms,Thigh,Body lift), Vaginal Rejuvenation,Dermabrasion/Peels,Injectables
• Reconstructive Surgery - Post Traumatic, Burns, Cancer Removal, Wound Healing, Scars, Ulcers
• Breast Reconstruction

Memberships and Affiliations:

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc.
• American College of Surgeons
• American Medical Association
• Florida Medical Association
• Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American College of Legal Medicine

Alan R. Smith, MD, RPh, FAAFP, is Board Certified as a Family Medicine Physician (American Board of Family Medicine) plus Board Certified by the American Board of Physicians and Surgeons. Along with a full-time, full-spectrum Family Medicine Practice, Dr. Smith is the Medical Director of Millard Care and Rehabilitation, a position he has held for over 30 years. 

Dr. Smith also serves the State of Utah as Chairman of the Utah Physician Licensing Board (2018 - Currently), and is a Fellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Smith is retained as an Expert Witness with a focus on Family Medicine and Nursing Home Medical Malpractice. He has over 20 years of expert witness experience with approximately 100 cases reviewed, 25 depositions, and 10 court / arbitration testimonies. 

"I feel a responsibility to hold my fellow physicians, as well as myself, to the standard of care. I likewise feel a responsibility to stand and defend the truth when care of a physician is in question." - Alan R. Smith, MD

Areas of Expertise:

Obstetrics Surgical Obstetrics Inpatient and Outpatient Care Home Health Skilled Nursing Care Extended Nursing Care

Long Term Care / Hospice Care Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and EGD Minor Surgery - Vasectomy Major Surgery - Hernia Repair, Endometrial Ablation, Tonsillectomy, Tympanostomy Tubes Emergency Department Care

Elite Medical Experts is a physician-led team that hand selects nationally recognized Professors of Medicine and Surgery as expert witnesses. Each expert is a board-certified specialist with a busy clinical practice and impeccable credentials.  From Stanford to Yale, and from every healthcare specialty and field, Elite aligns leading specialists from top-tier medical universities.

Actionable benefits to our clients:

     ♦  Zero-Risk Guarantee:  Approve the expert or we'll refund the fee.

     ♦  Avoid costly mistakes with real-time access to our physician-led Strategy Team.

     ♦  No subscriptions - we earn trust one case at a time.

     ♦  Work directly with hand-selected university experts screened for your specific case.

     ♦  No database or advertised experts - we plan for discovery and transparency at every stage.

Please call [877] 670-8625 to speak directly with our in-house Case Strategy Team. There's no charge for phone or video consultation consultation and we'll outline a a strategic plan for moving forward.

Dr. Burton Bentley II, M.D., FAAEM
CEO, Elite Medical Experts

Areas of Expertise:

Anesthesiology Bariatric Surgery Cardiology Cardiothoracic Surgery Critical Care COVID-19 (SARS Cov-2; Coronavirus) Dermatology and Aesthetic Dermatology Ears, Nose & Throat (Otolaryngology) Emergency Medicine Endocrinology Epidemiology Family Medicine Gastroenterology General Surgery Gerontology Gynecologic Oncology Gynecology Hand Surgery Hospital Medicine (Hospitalist) Infectious Disease Intensive Care (ICU) Medicine Internal Medicine Interventional Radiology Laparoscopic Surgery Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Neonatology Nephrology Neurology Neurosurgery Obstetrics Oncology Ophthalmology Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Orthodontics Orthopedic (Orthopaedic) Surgery Pathology Pediatric Surgery Pediatrics Perinatology Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR) Podiatry Psychiatry Pulmonology (Pulmonary Medicine) Radiology Rheumatology Sports Medicine Toxicology Transplant Surgery Trauma Surgery Urology Vascular Surgery

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Robert A. Ertner, MD, is a Board Certified, fellowship-trained Cardiac Anesthesiologist in full-time clinical practice at a Northern California county hospital that serves as a level 2 trauma center. Dr. Ertner has been a certified Echocardiographer for 15 years. He specializes in Cardiac and Thoracic surgical procedures for which he is fellowship-trained.

Background: Dr. Ertner has previously served as an academic physician teaching residents in both MD and CRNA programs.  He has served as a locum tenens anesthesiologist performing direct care and both supervising and directing CRNAs, and presently provides care to over 700 patients each year. He provides Spinal, Epidural, Regional, and General Anesthesia for patients undergoing cardiovascular and thoracic procedures as well as general, orthopedic, bariatric, urologic, vascular, otorhinolaryngological (ENT), ophthalmologic, gynecologic, and neurologic surgery in both the hospital inpatient and outpatient surgery center settings.   He provides care for obstetric patients in the labor and delivery suites and operating rooms.  Additionally, he provides care for a variety of procedures performed “out-of-department,” such as in the cardiac catheterization suites, the interventional radiology suites, and CT and MRI cases.  

Dr. Ertner maintains licenses in California where his practice is located, as well as in Texas and Georgia, where he trained, and in Missouri and Oregon. He was awarded Diplomat status by the National Board of Echocardiography in 2007.

Litigation Support: Dr. Ertner has been involved in medical-legal work since 2014. He has reviewed cases for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defense. Dr. Ertner has consulted on over 85 cases, including preparation of affidavits, forensic report writing, and providing testimony at deposition and trial. He works with clients to offer both an understanding of the relevant medicine (anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc.) and how to think about what information they need to seek going forward as they pursue their cases.

Areas of Expertise:

Anesthesiology Cardiac Anesthesiology Thoracic Anesthesiology Peripheral Nerve Block Epidural Anesthesia Spinal Anesthesia Airway Management

Airway Trauma Intubation Transesophageal Echocardiography Nerve Injury Bronchospasm Laryngospasm Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation

Larry Fishman, MD, PA, is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon with more than 22 years of experience. A Mayo Clinic-trained neurosurgeon, specializes in minimally invasive surgery, including carpal tunnel, spinal, and cranial procedures. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Fishman performs CME's and IME's, disability evaluation, permanent impairment rating, future care costs, and determines medical appropriateness of care to date. He performs medical record review, medical malpractice, as well as other medical legal issues. Dr. Fishman's services are available to counsel for both plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

Neurosurgery Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Disability Head & Neck Surgery Hydrocephalus

Spinal Procedures Health / Medical / Disability Insurance Neuroimaging Independent Medical Examinations (IME) Medical Malpractice Medical Record Review

View Dr. Fishman's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Joel L.Goldberg, MD, FACEP, is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Specialist with expertise in the fields of Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care, Occupational Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. He has more than 20 years of experience as a practicing emergency physician in academic, urban, community and rural hospital departments, as well as teaching hospitals. 

Dr. Goldberg is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Homer Stryker School of Medicine  He was a Major in the United States Air Force and has experience in Air Medical Transport.

Litigation Support - As an Expert Witness in Emergency Medicine,  Dr. Goldberg is qualified to address questions relating to standard of care, medical malpractice, negligence, personal injury, and wrongful death.  He has reviewed and given expert opinions and case reviews on malpractice cases since 2018, and has worked for both plaintiff and defense.  Dr. Goldberg provides credible and clearly understandable testimony for both plaintiff and defense that informs judges and jury on pertinent medical facts and science. 

Areas of Expertise:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm Abdominal Compartment syndrome Abdominal Pain / Abdominal Trauma Acute Coronary Syndrome Aortic Dissection Appendicitis Assault  Asthma Back Injury Blunt Trauma Cardiac Arrest / CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Carotid Artery Dissection Cauda Equina Central Cord Syndrome Central Line Complication Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

Chest Pain Chest Trauma Chest Tube Complication Chest Tube Placement Cholecystitis Compartment Syndrome COPD Deep Vein Thrombosis Dept. of Transportation Exams Difficult Airway Difficult Intubation Diverticulitis Electrocardiogram Interpretation EKG Interpretation Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) violations Endocarditis Endotracheal Intubation SEE FULL LIST

Dr. Thomas J. Berger was board certified in 1981 as a cardiac surgeon by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has been involved, as an expert, in over 300 medical malpractice cases. Most of this experience has been since 1998, when his firm, Heart of the Matter Expertise, began to gain recognition, within the legal community, as the premier expert witness service for cases involving cardiac surgery and cardio-thoracic disease.

Areas of Expertise:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Cardiology
• Surgery - General
• Thoracic Surgery

Mission Statement

To see that the truth about every case, in which an associate of Heart of the Matter Expertise becomes involved, is uncovered and understood, whether this means assuring justice for a poorly treated patient or protecting the precious reputation of an unfairly accused physician.

Jason C. Goodwin, MS, MPH, RN, CNOR, is a highly skilled and decorated Veteran Nurse Corps Lieutenant, honorably discharged in 2006. As a Registered Nurse, Operating Room Manager, Director, and Administrator, he has extensive experience with regulatory mandates, expertise in national clinical standards, and ensuring best practices in procedural safety culture.

As a procedural department administrator and clinician, Mr. Goodwin has personally supervised the safe care in and around various procedures and operating room venues for 17 years, totaling approximately 300,000 individual patient encounters. An expert with quality and safety compliance regulation, he has successfully prepared teams for Joint Commission, AAAHC, Medicare, Inspector General, and State audits.  Mr. Goodwin has experience managing as many as 20 managers, 4 Lean/Six Sigma process-improvement personnel, 500 total employees, and $1.8 Billion in annual gross revenue.

Clinical Experience Medical Surgical Nursing Shock / Trauma Intervention Procedural Services Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Care Procedural Sedation Clinical Educator

Operational / Leadership Experience 2003 Iraqi War Veteran Multi-site Surgical Venues - UC Davis Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Level 1 Trauma Academic Medical Center – UC Davis Medical Center Military – Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Operation Iraqi Freedom Fee for Service Ambulatory Surgery Services – ABSMC Surgery Center Clinic Management – Perioperative Medicine Clinic, Kaiser Permanente

Litigation Support - Mr. Goodwin provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He has been retained in approximately 30 cases. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Surgical Standard of Care Medical / Surgical Units Operating Room Injuries Sterile Processing Adverse Quality / Safety Events Pre & Postoperative Complications Pain Procedures / Procedural Sedation Positioning Injuries Wrong Site Surgeries

National Nursing Standards Regulatory Guidelines Nursing Administration Medical Devices Patient Falls Medication Errors Failure to Rescue Team Communication Emergency Preparedness

James Apesos, MD, FACS, is Board Certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, General Surgery, and Hand Surgery, allowing him to deal with most any and all potential medical malpractice situations.

Dr. Apesos has decades of experience operating a busy private plastic surgery practice, training surgeons, managing emergency rooms, and hospital facilities. He has a wide experience dealing with both pediatric and adult surgery from congenital to reconstructive to cosmetic.

Education / Training:

• University of Pennsylvania, BS 
• Georgetown University School of Medicine, MD
• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, General Surgery Chief Resident
• University of Virginia School of Medicine Chief Resident Plastic Surgery
• Certified Ohio State Police Officer 
• Certified Ohio State Firefighter

Litigation Support - Dr. Apesos is an expert witness for Medical Malpractice cases involving Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, including all cosmetic surgery, pediatric surgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, breast surgery, and cancer surgery. He has special skill in complications of surgery and post-surgery deaths.

Dr. Apesos has been providing services to the legal community for 30 years. He has been retained in 30 cases and been deposed over 25 times. A punctual strategist, he is adept at quickly assessing legal cases, cutting through medical jargon, and determining the merits of each case. Dr. Apesos' services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed for both plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

Pediatric Plastic Surgery Issues Eye Surgery Burn Care Hand Surgery Fractures Facial Injuries / Facial Plastic Surgery Pediatric Plastic Surgery Breast Surgery / Breast Implant Problems

Scope of Practice Cases Radiology Complications Patient Death Cases Complications from Injectables Laser Complications Nasal Surgery Liposuction Fat Transfer Problems

John L. Lovecchio, MD, has over 35 years of experience specializing in Gynecology and Oncology.  He is one of the nation’s top clinicians and researchers in the field of uterine and ovarian cancers.

Dr. Lovecchio is currently Professor Emeritus of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology at Hofstra University School of Medicine, NY, and Attending Physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY. 

Prior to that, for 20 years, Dr. Lovecchio served as Professor and Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center (Northwell Health) while also working as an Investigator at the Center for Oncology & Cell Biology at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

Litigation Support - Dr. Lovecchio offers expert witness services to attorneys representing the plaintiff and defense, including medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He has been deposed and testified over 10 times since 2020.

Areas of Expertise:

Gynecologic Cancer Cervical Cancer Ovarian Cancer Uterine Cancer Vulvar Cancer Endometrial Cancer Fibroids

Pelvic Masses Biomarker Expression Patterns BRCA Gene Testing Chemotherapy / Radiation Therapy Interstitial Brachytherapy Pelvic MRI Diagnostic Techniques