Surgery (General) Expert Witnesses: 35

Dean M. DeLuke, DDS, is currently Professor Emeritus, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at VCU School of Dentistry, where he has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards. He is also the recipient of the Daniel M. Laskin Award for Excellence in Predoctoral Education, a national award conferred by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).

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

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. DeLuke is a graduate of St Michael’s College (B.A.), Columbia University (D.D.S.), and Clarkson University (M.B.A.). He completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow of the American and the International College of Dentists.

Prior to coming to Virginia Commonwealth University, he was active in private practice in New York State for nearly 30 years, where he was also Chief of Dentistry and Oral Surgery and Co-Director of the Cleft Palate Service. He is a past president of the New York State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and has served in the AAOMS House of Delegates.

He was also active for many years on the Advisory Board, Risk Management and Finance Committees of OMS National Insurance Company, the primary provider of professional liability insurance for oral surgeons. He authored a text on Syndromes of the Head and Neck, along with numerous other journal articles and book chapters. He has been a frequent lecturer at regional and national meetings for the past 30 years.

David A.Sugar, MD, is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon. He has been in practice since 1997. Working as a general Orthopaedic Surgeon, he has treated an extremely wide array of Orthopaedic conditions and injuries.

Dr. Sugar has served as the Managing Partner in a group as large as 11 doctors and worked on the Surgical QI Committee ( currently serves as the Chairman) at the 35th largest hospital in the United States. Dr. Sugar is currently the principal surgeon at Sugar Orthopaedics where they provide surgical and non-surgical treatments for muscular and skeletal problems of all types.

Litigation Support - Dr Sugar has offered expert witness services for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant for 20 years. His services include independent medical evaluations (IMEs), medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony. Dr. Sugar's cases have a heavy emphasis on Fractures, Knee, Shoulder, Sports Medicine, and Pediatric Orthopaedics.

Areas of Expertise:

William B. Stetson, MD is an Orthopedic Surgeon who specializes in Sports Medicine with an expertise in Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Surgery of the shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Stetson spends over 90% of his time in clinical practice and research and has over ten years experience as an expert witness and in reviewing complex medical-legal issues. He is the Team Physician for the USA Men's and Women's Olympic Indoor Volleyball Teams and accompanied both teams to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. He is a former athlete himself, a two time All-American volleyball player at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also a recipient of the NCAA's prestigious Silver Anniversary Award, given to former NCAA athletes who have gone on to distinguish themselves after graduation. 

Areas of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialization:

View Dr. Stetson's Consulting Profile.

John M. Schuberth, DPM, has extensive experience in Complex Foot and Ankle Surgery. Throughout his 40 year career, he has performed over 25,000 surgical cases and over 1,500 ankle replacements. He has published extensively on a wide variety of subject involving foot and ankle surgery (128 publications) and lectured all over the world on Foot and Ankle surgery. Please refer to his most recent CV for details. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Schuberth provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. He has been deposed/testified over 20 times since 2020.

Areas of Expertise:

Associations:

• Editor in Chief for the Journal of Foot and Surgery for 7 years and Editor in Chief of Foot and Ankle Specialist for 6 years
• Former Chair of Board- American Academy of Foot and Ankle Osteosynthesis
• Former Course Chair-AO Podiatric Course  
• Past President, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons 1998-1999
• Board of Directors, ACFAS, 1992-2000
• Past Chair; Outcomes Research Committee, ACFAS
• Past Chair; Clinical Research; Research Fellowships, ACFAS        
• Past Chair, Preferred Practice Guidelines; Hallux Valgus
• Past Chair, Preferred Practice Guidelines; Ankle Sprain, Instability
• Former Member Ankle/Reconstructive Rearfoot Surgery Exam Committee
• American  Board Podiatric Surgery    1992-1996
• Former Chair, ABPS Ankle / Rearfoot Reconstructive Surgery. Exam Committee, 1996-2000
• Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, California College of Podiatric Medicine 1985-2003
• Licensing Commissioner, State of California 1986-1998
• Chief Examination Advisor, Board of Medical Quality Assurance 1986-1993
• Associate Faculty, San Francisco Orthopedic Residency Program
• Former Chair, Foot and Ankle Subgroup, National Product Comm-Kaiser
• Former Chair, Local Product Committee, Kaiser San Francisco
• Former Chair, Education Committee-American Academy Foot Ankle Osteosynthesis, 2013-2019
• Nine time awardee of Attending of the Year from several residency programs
• Board Certified American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (1985, Current)

Tobias A. Mattei, MD, is a academic Neurosurgeon specialized in Complex Spine / Deformity Surgery. Dr. Mattei is currently practices as an Assistant Professor of the Division of Neurosurgery of St. Louis University. He has been an active member of the North American Spine Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, as well as many other international societies. 

Dr. Mattei is a member of the editorial board of The Spine Journal and Deputy Editor of the North American Spine Society Journal, the new open access initiative of the North American Spine Society. He is an active reviewer of several other neurosurgical journals including World Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurology & Neurosurgery, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, Osteoarthritis & Cartilage, Journal of Engineering in Medicine: Part H, British Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurological Sciences.

As a researcher, Dr. Mattei has published more than 130 original research articles, having been cited more than 1400 times. He holds an unrestricted medical license in the states of Ohio, Missouri, New York, and Maine, and has never been submitted to any sanction or disciplinary action by any medical boards.

Litigation Support: Dr. Mattei provides expert witness services in the field of Spinal Injuries, Spine Surgery, Spinal Care, and Neurosurgery. He has provided expert review services for several scientific funding agencies in the U.S. (including the NIH Panel for Clinical Neurophysiology, Devices, Neuroprosthetics, and Biosensors) as well as abroad (including the Innovation and Technology Commission/ Hong Kong SAR Government and The Brain Tumor Charity - New Ideas Award/UK). 

Dr. Mattei's  litigation support services are available to attorneys for plaintiff and defense and include review of hospital records, medical reports, imaging results, operative reports, patient's evolution, depositions, and trial testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Sina Rajamand, DO, is a General Neurosurgeon particularly skilled in minimally invasive and Complex Spine Surgery, Including percutaneous lumbar fusions, and minimally invasive brain and spine surgeries. He is affiliated with numerous prestigious medical societies such as the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Osteopathic Association.

Dr. Rajamand started Carson Tahoe Medical Center’s Neurosurgery program. His duties and responsibilities include writing and revising procedures and protocols, educating other providers and nursing staff on neuro-critical care and neurosurgical pathologies. He coordinating and organizes capital expenditures for the neurosurgery service line and provides continuous consulting services to inpatient hospitalist service and Emergency Departments.

Dr. Rajamand founded Battle Born Brain and Spine to set a new standard in neurosurgical care for the Northern Nevada and Northern California community, by providing the right care at the right time for the right person in the right way.

Dr. Sina Rajamand on Brain, Spine, and Back Surgery

Litigation Support - Dr. Rajamand is uniquely equipped to provide medical expert testimony with his advanced medical training from Columbia University, Midwestern University and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He specializes in microsurgery techniques for neurosurgical procedures and minimally invasive surgery.

In depositions and trials, Dr. Rajamand can serve as a medical expert witness on a wide range of spinal conditions and diseases, including:

• Brain and Spine Tumors
• Carpal Tunnel
• Compression Fractures
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Lumbar, Cervical, and Thoracic Spine Conditions

Thomas J. Zaydon, MD, FACS,  is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with over 30 years of experience.. Dr. Zaydon is the founder of The Cosmetic Surgery Institute of Miami and is a recognized authority on Plastic and Reconstructive and Burn Surgery. During his tenure, he has worked in the medical field in the emergency room, providing surgical procedures and performing surgery on patients who need long term or short-term care.

Dr. Zaydon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a noted author of numerous articles and chapters on various aspects of plastic surgery. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Zaydon serves as a plastic surgery expert witness on liability cases around the country. He has had the opportunity to work both with defense and plaintiff attorneys. Working in the emergency room at major hospitals has given him opportunities to work with all types of injuries from major reconstruction to minor revisions. He can provide factual synthesis of any issue regarding the medical care or not appropriate medical care rendered. He navigates medical records and understands procedural terminology and insight with professionals, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, as well as physician practices and attorneys.

Video: Plastic Surgeon As Expert Witness: How to Choose Your Expert Witness - A Guide for Lawyers

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Andreas Plackis is an award-winning, double board-certified Anesthesiologist and Cardiac Anesthesiologist. He is Vanderbilt residency and cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship trained, and in full-time clinical practice with hands-on patient care and supervision of CRNAs and SRNAs.

Dr. Plackis provides care for the highest acuity patients practicing at the only heart transplant center in Arkansas. One of a select few Arkansas anesthesiologists providing TEE imaging guidance for structural heart interventions.

Litigation Support - Dr. Plackis will assist either plaintiff or defense attorneys in establishing standard of care compliance and identifying breaches in anesthesiology medical malpractice cases. His services include written reports, deposition testimony, and trial testimony as needed. He is highly responsive to phone calls and emails. Two-week or less turnaround time for initial case opinion.

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Plackis is an experienced and articulate public speaker and presenter with multiple publications and local/national presentations. He has exemplary knowledge base as achieved a Top 1-3 percentile ranking nationally compared to peers in nearly all ABA licensing and training examinations. Diplomat of the ABA and NBE.

Georgia J. Persky RN, MBA, PhD, CLNC, CNOR is a Columbia University trained nurse researcher with over 40 years of broad Clinical Nursing experience and 25 years of senior leadership in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Home Health organizations. She also has 20 years of Surgical Nursing and Operating Room experience. Dr. Persky has expertise in the micro issues in nursing for adult patient care and the broad management, quality, and regulatory issues in hospitals. 

Background Experience - Dr. Persky served as Vice-President of Nursing and Patient Care Services for the past 25 years and most recently at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. For nine years, she was responsible for Patient Care Services, Risk and Quality Management and Patient Satisfaction for a 750-bed academic hospital. She directed a $200 million budget with 33 patient care units and Care Management, Respiratory Therapy, Social Work and Admitting Departments with 9 direct reports and 2,000 patient care employees.

Litigation Support - As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant and Quality Reviewer, Dr. Persky has investigated hundreds of Malpractice and Injury cases as a quality reviewer and can assist in legal case review with chronologies, timelines, and evidence-based reports. She has testifying experience in malpractice and personal injury cases, as well as, with human resource and employee discrimination with an ability to attest to standards of care in clinical litigation. Dr. Persky's services are available to attorneys for the plaintiff and defense seeking an expert in nursing and patient care with a strong understanding of how heath care organizations work.

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Persky's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Jorge Perez, MD, is a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, practicing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for over 30 years. A graduate and former faculty member of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, he is selected regularly among Castle Connolly/U.S. News and World Report's listing of America’s Top Doctors.

Litigation Support - Dr. Perez is fluent in Spanish and has been retained as a consultant and medical expert for over 25 years. He has provided records review, examination and testimony in matters of adult and child plastic surgery, burns, scars, hand, skin and soft tissue injuries, for both plaintiff and defense. He assists attorneys in preparation for sentinel depositions and vigorous cross examination of opposing experts.

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Perez is an author and has been featured as an expert in plastic surgery on worldwide media, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Univision, Telemundo and elsewhere. He has lectured and trained thousands of surgeons, in dozens of countries, in multiple languages, in the areas of facial rejuvenation, breast surgery, and body contouring.

He has served as a consultant to breast implant manufacturers Mentor/Johnson & Johnson and Allergan Medical, and has been an FDA principal investigator in breast, body contouring, liposuction and abdominoplasty. He was one of only 10 original investigators to develop Ultrasonic liposuction and was a participant in a national abdominoplasty study for Baxter bioscience. He was the keynote speaker on facial rejuvenation surgery at an international congress held in Brussels Belgium. Dr. Perez has served as plastic surgeon to a leading NYC Burn Center.

Dr. Perez recently gave a guest lecture entitled "How To Get The Most Out Of Your Retained Expert."

www.PerezPlasticSurgery.com. PerezPlasticSurgery@Gmail.com

CV available upon request.

Armond Kotikian, DDS, MD, FACS, is double board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In the clinic setting, Dr. Kotikian routinely performs IV sedations for complex cases including impacted wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, bone grafting and tumor excisions. He specializes in:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma
• Infections
• Oral Pathology Resection and Reconstruction
• Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients (surgical and non-surgical)
• Craniofacial Anomalies (orthognathic surgery / corrective jaw surgery)

Litigation Support - A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Kotikian has extensive experience as an expert witness in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry. His Dental law and Dentistry services have been requested all over the country. Dr. Kotikian has been an expert witness on over 125 malpractice cases, given depositions on over 65 cases and testified at court over the past six years. His cases have included a wide variety of issues related to the Oral and Maxillofacial region including

• Oral Pathology
• Nerve Injuries
• TMJ Issues
• Oral Trauma
• Oral and Facial Fractures and Lacerations
• Injuries related to Extraction of Teeth
• Injuries related to Dental Implant \ Surgery
• Orthognathic Surgery Complications
• Head and Neck Infections related to Teeth and Salivary Glands

More information at www.oralsurgeryexpertwitness.com

View Dr. Kotikian's Consulting Profile. 

• Thoracic Surgery
• Vascular, Endovascular surgery and Phlebology
• Non-invasive Vascular Testing
• Wound Care

Kent C. Sasse, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS, FASMBS, is a Bariatric surgery thought leader.  Performed over 5,000 primary bariatric surgical procedures and 500 revisional bariatric procedures. Medical Director of nationally accredited bariatric surgery center. Award-winning teacher. Widely published scientist. Author of the nine books. Inventor and patent holder of bariatric surgical device. 

Clinical Experience includes: bariatric surgery and endoscopy, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, duodenal switch, reoperative surgery, revisional surgery, hiatal hernia, wound care, Barrett's esophagus, hernia mesh, hernia mesh explantation, endoscopic stenting, leaks, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and solving complications. Prolific public speaker. University of Nevada School of Medicine faculty. Experienced expert witness at both deposition and trial. www.SasseSurgical.com/books. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Sasse has served as a medico-legal consultant to attorneys involved in complex litigation. He has provided extensive expert reviews of complex cases for the State of Nevada, for independent insurance and disability carriers, and for the United States Air Force. He brings to each and every case a level of experience and unparalleled dedication to preparation, excellent service, and insightful review. His expert testimony has proven highly valuable , serving both defense and plaintiff to reach the truth. 

Dr. Sasse is a sought after speaker and an experienced trial witness, having logged many hours on the witness stand in highly charged cases. He brings a commitment to objectivity and thoroughness to each and every case. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Sasse's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Farr Ajir, MD, MBA, FACS, CIME, is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon with more than 35 years of experience in the treatment of disorders of the Brain and Spine. He is also Certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (CIME).

Dr. Ajir has been staff neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Systems.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS),  Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and California Association of Neurological Surgeons. He is a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) with many years of leadership and administrative experience in healthcare delivery.

Litigation Support - As an expert neurosurgeon with decades of experience, Dr. Ajir offers services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He performs Independent Medical Exammination, and provides expert reviews and medical-legal opinions. Dr. Ajir holds medical licenses in California, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin, and Utah. 

Areas of Expertise: 

Brain

Spine