Surgery (General) Expert Witnesses: 29

Brent Moelleken, MD, FACS is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. Double board certified, he received his training at Harvard University, Yale University, UCSF, and UCLA. Dr. Moelleken is one of three specialty-trained surgeons in the world to complete the year-long Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship at UCLA. He is an Attending Surgeon and Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery at UCLA, where he often performs surgeries and teaches residents. Here, he specializes in patients diagnosed with skin cancers in the facial area who require complex, artful reconstructions. 

Dr. Moelleken has innovated various procedures including LiveFill®, autologous fat-fascial grafts; the USIC® & LUSIC® cheeklifts, short incision cheeklifts; the 360 Facelift®, a comprehensive natural appearing facelift procedure; and the Hybrid Tummy Tuck®, a short incision tummy tuck for fit moms. He believes in publishing the results of his innovations in peer-reviewed journals. Results of Dr. Moelleken’s studies have been published in books, articles, and the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. Dr. Moelleken provides free surgical services to Veterans at the West Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital through his UCLA affiliation, and has his own charity, the About Face Foundation ™, helping children and victims of violence or crime who might otherwise be unable to afford reconstructive services. Several of his charity patients have been featured in local and national television and print segments.

Litigation Support - Dr. Brent Moelleken provides expert witness support for insurance companies and counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical case review, depositions, and trial testimony when necessary. Dr. Moelleken has trial experience with the following issues:

View Dr. Moelleken's Consulting Profile.

MRK Medical Consultants provides Medical-Legal Evaluations to help legal and insurance professionals reach appropriate conclusions about their client's situations. MRK provides a wide array of medical experts that offer objective review and analysis of personal injuries. Each stage of the process—research to review, analysis to opinion—is addressed in a comprehensive manner in order to help legal and insurance professionals reach appropriate conclusions about their client’s situations. MRK's prestigious list of more than forty consultants are active clinicians and surgeons, who are all board-certified or eligible in one or more specialties. MRK provides physician experts to the entire State of California, the Reno/Lake Tahoe area, and Las Vegas, and we travel to many areas of the United States. Physical therapy, registered nurses, physician assistant, and billing review consultants are available services MRK provides. Our office physicians are available for telephone review of the merits of your case before you decide to proceed.  

Edward W. Younger, III, M.D., Medical Director of MRK Medical Consultants, specializes in Orthopedic Surgery. He has extensive experience in total joint replacement, as well as reconstructive surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder. He was instrumental in bringing computer navigation technology to his hospital. He served on the orthopedic trauma staff at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, California, for more than fifteen years and was instrumental in bringing computer navigation technology to that institution. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the California Orthopedic Association.

Dr. Michael R. Klein, Jr., M.D., specializes in Orthopedic Surgery and is a founding member and the first Medical Director of Northern California Orthopedic Centers. He was involved with the development of the orthopedic section of the Level II Trauma Center at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. He served as a clinical professor at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center for more than thirty years. He has been a member of the North American Spine Society since 2009 and was awarded the David O. Selby Award in 2020 for his contributions. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and a member of the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association. He retired from the USAF in 1998 after being on active duty during the Vietnam War, and he was activated for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. 

MRK's Areas of Expertise:

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

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.

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

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. 

Dr. Andreas Plackis is an award-winning, triple 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.

Thomas J. Zaydon, MD, FACS,  is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with over 30 years of experience.. Dr. Zaydon is the founder of The Plastic Surgery Institute of Miami and is a recognized authority on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. During his tenure, he continues to work in the emergency room, providing surgical evaluations and performing procedures on patients who need traumatic 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 has authored 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. He is a certified expert witness in the field of plastic surgery for the State of Florida. He works for both plaintiff and defense attorneys.

Dr. Zaydon can provide factual synthesis regarding plastic surgery management. As part of his expertise, he navigates medical records and understands procedural terminology. On request, he has prepared numerous comprehensive plastic surgery examinations in conjunction with depositions, trial testimony, and legal documents.

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

Areas of Expertise:

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:

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)

Shawn A. Hayden MD, PhD, MBA, President and CEO of ONTO Orthopedics, has over 25 years of experience as an Orthopedic Spine, Trauma and Sports Medicine Surgeon in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Dr. Hayden’s focus has always been in providing high-tech, high-quality care to his patients. For this reason, he is constantly training on some of the latest diagnostic and operative technologies. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Hayden assists medical doctors, scientists, lawyers and law firms with civil matters, malpractice cases, business guidance, and idea generation. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting of causation, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Hayden graduated from Harvard College. He received his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and his orthopedic training at the Harvard Combined Orthopedics Residency Program. Dr. Hayden is also fellowship trained in orthopedic trauma and spine surgery at The Massachusetts General Hospital and The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. Hayden is board certified in Orthopedic Surgery. 

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.

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: