Pennsylvania orthopedic surgeon with past drug charges faces negligence lawsuit — 5 insights

Orthopedic

The wife of a deceased patient filed a lawsuit alleging negligence against State College, Pa.-based University Orthopedics Center orthopedic surgeon Kenneth Cherry, MD, the Centre Daily Times reports.

What you should know:

1. Dr. Cherry allegedly wrote 63 prescriptions to a woman he had a personal and sexual relationship with in 2017. He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of failing to keep records of a controlled substance. A judge sentenced him to 1.5 years of probation, several fines and a single day of community service.

2. Now, Cynthia Greenberg, wife of the late Michael Greenberg, is suing Dr. Cherry alleging negligence. Dr. Cherry performed a total knee replacement and several follow-up procedures on Mr. Greenberg in April 2017.

3. Mr. Greenberg developed an infection after the procedure. He underwent a second surgery in June 2017. The day of that surgery, agents from the state attorney general's office searched Dr. Cherry's office in relation to his drug charges.

4. Dr. Cherry continued with the surgery and allegedly implanted "so much cement in Greenberg's knee that the cement subsequently extruded from the skin causing the wound to dehisce."

5. Mr. Greenberg struggled with infections afterward, which led to amputation in August 2017. As he recovered from the amputation at home, Mr. Greenberg lost his airway and died. The lawsuit alleges he was unable to reach his phone because of the loss of his leg.

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