News Release — January 11, 2005

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January 11, 2005

Medical Board of California Accusation Leads
to Surrender of San Diego Physician's Medical License

SACRAMENTO—Facing a formal Accusation of unprofessional conduct before the Medical Board of California, San Diego physician Richard M. Escajeda, M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his medical license was accepted by the Division of Medical Quality on January 4, 2005 and becomes effective on January 11, 2005. Escajeda had been accused of violating Business and Professions Code section 2234 (c) and (d) (repeated negligent acts and incompetence) in his care and treatment of two patients, and also section 2266 (failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records) in his care and treatment of one of those patients. With respect to the first patient, Escajeda was charged with injecting fat directly into the patient's supraorbital artery thereby occluding the ophthalmic artery and its first branch, the central retinal artery to the right eye, causing permanent blindness in the patient's right eye; using a "Disposa-Jet," rather than a syringe, to inject fat into the patient's right forehead thereby increasing the risk of not recognizing that he was injecting fat directly into her supraorbital artery; being unaware of the vascular anatomy of the area into which he was injecting fat on the patient's right forehead and its origin from the ophthalmic artery and initially misdiagnosing the cause of the patient's blindness; and continuing to inject fat into the patient's "laugh lines" even after she told him that she could not see and that everything was dark in her right eye, and despite her alarm and request that he do something. With respect to the second patient, Escajeda was charged with failing to diagnose the patient's significant postoperative bleeding problem and hematoma when she first returned to his office following revision of her right breast augmentation; and failing to use adequate and appropriate anesthesia to minimize the patient's pain during the surgery to evacuate the hematoma from her right breast.

The Accusation also alleged that Escajeda had been previously disciplined by the Division for acts constituting sexual abuse and misconduct in violation of Business and Professions Code section 726, and gross negligence in violation of Business and Professions Code section 2234(b). In the previous discipline, which became effective on August 1, 1992, Escajeda's medical license had been revoked, with the revocation stayed, and he was placed on probation for five years on terms and conditions, including requirements that he serve 90 days' actual suspension from the practice of medicine, that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation and undergo treatment if required; that he submit a plan for monitoring of his practice; that he have a third party present while examining or treating female patients; that he take continuing education courses related to plastic and reconstructive surgery of at least 40 hours per year for each year of probation in addition to the continuing education requirements for relicensure; that he take and complete a course in medical ethics; and that he comply with all other standard terms and conditions contained in the stipulated settlement.

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The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.

If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.caldocinfo.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.

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