A Dr. Salameh lawsuit search pulls up two different physicians and two different cases. The $3.45 million verdict that dominates the results was entered in July 2024 against Dr. J.R. Salameh, a bariatric surgeon in Virginia who performed a gastric bypass on a patient who had consented to a gastric sleeve. The Kentucky plastic surgeon Dr. Bernard Salameh is a separate person, connected to a 2014 Kentucky malpractice claim alleging that five surgical sponges were left inside a patient’s thigh.
The $3.45 Million Wrong-Surgery Verdict in Virginia
The case is Jensen-Winkert v. Virginia Hospital Center Physician Group, LLC, tried in Arlington County Circuit Court and decided by a jury on July 12, 2024. The defendant surgeon was Dr. J.R. Salameh, affiliated with Virginia Hospital Center Physician Group.1Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Surgeon Performed Incorrect Bariatric Surgery, $3,982,528.77 Verdict
Gina V. Jensen-Winkert consulted with Dr. J.R. Salameh on October 26, 2020, and asked for a gastric sleeve. She signed informed consent for that procedure on October 8, 2021. Three days later, a surgical scheduler changed the listed procedure to a gastric bypass. On the day of surgery, December 16, 2021, Jensen-Winkert was given a new consent form reflecting the bypass, and Dr. Salameh performed the bypass instead of the sleeve.2A Good Law Firm. Medical Malpractice: Incorrect Bariatric Surgery Results in $3.45 Million Verdict
She realized the error around March 2022 and filed suit on May 25, 2023. At trial, the practice group stipulated that its scheduler had breached the standard of care. Expert testimony established that Dr. Salameh had also breached the standard of care by failing to review the patient’s records before operating to confirm which surgery she had requested.1Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Surgeon Performed Incorrect Bariatric Surgery, $3,982,528.77 Verdict
Jensen-Winkert’s reported complications included difficulty tolerating food and liquids, an ulcer at the anastomosis site, recurrent vomiting and diarrhea, and an ongoing elevated risk of malnutrition. The jury awarded $3,450,000 in damages plus prejudgment interest running from the date of the surgery, bringing the total judgment to roughly $3,982,528.77.1Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Surgeon Performed Incorrect Bariatric Surgery, $3,982,528.77 Verdict The record available does not show whether post-trial motions or an appeal followed.
The Kentucky Retained-Sponge Claim Against Dr. Bernard Salameh
A separate malpractice lawsuit was filed in Kentucky on June 23, 2014. It alleged that a plastic surgeon left five surgical sponges inside a patient’s left thigh during a debridement and skin graft on July 8, 2013. The patient reportedly had pain and fluid drainage after the surgery. An ultrasound eventually identified the sponges, which were removed in a second operation on August 13, 2013. The patient then spent seven weeks in the hospital, with complications that included a staph infection.3Medical Malpractice Lawyers. Kentucky Plastic Surgeon Medical Malpractice Claim Left Behind Sponges
The suit named the surgeon along with Kentucky One Health, St. Joseph Health System, and the facility where the surgery took place. It sought compensatory and punitive damages and also included allegations of verbal sexual harassment by the surgeon. The patient’s name was not published in available reporting, and no resolution, whether settlement, verdict, or dismissal, appears in the available record.3Medical Malpractice Lawyers. Kentucky Plastic Surgeon Medical Malpractice Claim Left Behind Sponges
Patient Complaints Tied to Bernard Salameh’s Practice
At least one patient has publicly described a poor outcome at Bernard Salameh’s practice. In a July 2022 review on the cosmetic surgery platform RealSelf, a patient who had lipedema surgery reported being left with “irregularities, long term pain and permanent nerve damage.” The reviewer alleged inadequate follow-up care, said staff were instructed to dismiss patient complications as normal, and stated they would need corrective surgery with a different surgeon.4RealSelf. Lipedema Surgery Pain, Nerve Damage, Irregularities This is a patient complaint, not litigation.
Other Physicians Named Salameh Who Appear in Lawsuit Searches
Two more doctors with the same surname show up in legal databases and are easily confused with the two above. Neither has any documented relationship to Bernard or J.R. Salameh beyond the name.
- Dr. Raja Nicolas Salameh, MD, a Texas urologist, surrendered his medical license to the Texas Medical Board in November 2014 after the Board found he was unable to practice due to illness. He had previously sued his disability insurer, Provident Life, in a 1998 federal case that was largely dismissed on procedural grounds after the court ruled the policy was governed by ERISA.5Houston Chronicle. Doctors Disciplined by Texas Medical Board6vLex. Salameh v. Provident Life and Acc. Ins. Co., 23 F. Supp. 2d 704
- Dr. Antoine Salameh, D.C., a Florida chiropractor, challenged the Florida Department of Health in 2021 after its probable cause panel issued an administrative complaint without reviewing his exculpatory evidence. On rehearing the panel found insufficient evidence and dismissed the complaint, and the Florida First District Court of Appeal then dismissed his mandamus petition as moot.7Findlaw. Antoine Salameh, D.C. v. Florida Department of Health
If you are researching a specific surgeon, confirm the first name, state of practice, and specialty before drawing conclusions from any of these cases. The wrong-surgery verdict belongs to the Virginia bariatric surgeon; the retained-sponge claim belongs to the Kentucky plastic surgeon; the Texas and Florida matters are unrelated to both.