By MONIQUE DEVEREUX health reporter
An Auckland liposuction doctor suspended from practice after being found guilty of professional misconduct for the fourth time has had his appeal against the ruling dismissed.
In a reserved decision, Judge Jeremy Doogue said a Medical Practitioners' Disciplinary Tribunal finding that Dr Warren Chan was guilty of professional misconduct was a "conclusion they were justified in reaching".
Dr Chan had appealed against the tribunal's April decision, which later resulted in his suspension from practice for nine months.
He was found guilty of professional misconduct after a woman complained that she suffered serious pain from a $2500 "liposculpture" fat-removal operation by Dr Chan at one of his two Auckland clinics.
His nurse told her that the procedure, done on July 24, 1996, would be painless. But the woman said she woke up twice during the operation and was given extra sedation.
The pain afterwards was so bad that she was unable to return to work for three weeks.
The tribunal found that Dr Chan did not adequately explain to the patient the risks of the surgery or whether it was suitable.
After he was suspended, Dr Chan went to Australia, where he was registered to work in Queensland and New South Wales.
But under a reciprocal agreement between Australia and New Zealand, both the Medical Board of Queensland and the New South Wales Medical Board also suspended him.
In the Auckland District Court, Judge Doogue said the tribunal had "adequate evidence to prove the assertions".
Dr Chan did not appeal against his sentence of suspension. He was not available for comment yesterday.
Staff at his Auckland clinic said he was in Australia and staff at two of his Australian clinics said he was in New Zealand.
His lawyer, Christopher Hodson, had not seen yesterday's decision.
Banned doctor loses appeal
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