Spine Fugitive Durrani Found in Pakistan

In December 2013, the U.S. Attorney in Ohio announced that a Pakistani-born spine surgeon, Atiq Durrani, M.D., had fled the country.

Durrani, now a fugitive, was arrested earlier in the year after being indicted on 46 federal charges, including performing unnecessary surgeries. Other allegations claimed that Durrani had another surgeon operate in his name, allowed other employees to write Oxycodone prescriptions on orders he pre-signed, knowingly left a guide wire inside a patient during surgery without giving them notice, and billing private and public healthcare benefits programs for fraudulent services.

After being ordered to turn in his passport and post bond, Durrani asked for permission to visit his ailing father in Pakistan. Permission was denied.

But then before his trial scheduled for January 2014, he disappeared. U.S. authorities feared he went on the lam in Pakistan. Everybody wanted to know—“Where’s Durrani?”

Surgeries in Pakistan

We’ve found him. In Lahore, Pakistan, where he has set up his own spine surgery clinic and joined the staff of a large hospital called Doctors Hospital and Medical Centre. A web search of Atiq Durrani, M.D. and Pakistan turned up this website: http://doctorshospital.com.pk/doctors/, as well as this “Beware Pakistan: Atiq Durrani – The Fugitive Doctor” Facebook community page: https://www.facebook.com/bewarepakistan1?ref=nf

The hospital advertises that its surgeons are “U.S. Board Certified.”

Durrani also claims to be a “Diplomat” of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons (ABOS) on various websites. However, a web search of the ABOS website did not turn up the name of any orthopedic surgeon named Atiq Durrani. The ABOS also confirmed that no one by that name is U.S. board certified.

We contacted the hospital about their claim and received no reply.

During a visit to Pakistan in 2012, he said he was honored by an “American orthopedic surgeon society” as “Surgeon of the Year 2011.” He spoke of establishing a chain of diagnostic labs and developing projects in the field of hospital management and the health insurance sector. He said the purpose of the project was to make world-class health services accessible to average Pakistani citizen.

A Pakistani website open to public comment offers a chance for patients to offer comments on physicians. Comments on the site warn potential patients to “please be sure to search the web to what Durrani did in the U.S. He is wanted by authorities.”

Ohio Mayhem

While in Ohio, Durrani billed Medicare over $11 million in a little under three years, or about $300, 000 per month, making him the biggest orthopedic Medicare biller in the state. In addition to the federal charges, Durrani is also being sued by more than 500 former patients led by a now-unlicensed attorney named Eric “The Bulldog” Deters. Deters called Durrani the “Butcher of Pakistan.”

Some of the lawsuits have proceeded without Durrani present in the courtroom. In one case, a jury found Durrani guilty of negligence and malpractice and awarded a former patient $1.04 million.

One patient, a former yoga instructor, said she saw Durrani for pain related to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can make parts of the body, like ligaments and joints, too elastic. She went to see Durrani with hope of getting a treatment to make her headaches and neck pain go away.

After surgery in which Durrani implanted two screws and two rods in her neck, she still had pain and a neck that is largely immobile. When she went to see other doctors, she was told that she never needed the surgery.

According to 2013 published reports, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure issued an emergency order of suspension of Durrani’s license after his federal indictment.

The Bulldog has even gone as far as claiming that his firm will be introducing evidence that Durrani did not graduate from medical school.

Deter and Durrani engaged in multiple YouTube video charges and countercharges before Durrani fled to Pakistan. The “Bulldog” (Deter) has his own ethical issues after retiring his law license in 2014 after being suspended in both Ohio and Kentucky. He’s working on this case as a trial consultant and paralegal.

Durrani Claims Innocence and “Unique Skills”

Durrani has denied all the charges, including the government’s claims that his patients suffered “serious bodily injury” as a result of the unnecessary surgeries. He told a reporter that he is a uniquely skilled spine surgeon with more extensive training than most.

“I am more trained in a dedicated way than probably anybody—not even in this area, but if you look at nationally—I’m one of few people who have received formal training in almost every aspect of spine—from infantile spine all the way to the adult spine. I take on the most complex cases that no one else will touch, ” said Durrani.

Extradition

However, finding Durrani is not likely to get him back to the U.S. to face the federal charges at a trial. The U.S. government has bigger targets for extradition from Pakistan and the government is probably not going to send in Special Forces to conduct a Bin Laden-type raid for alleged billing fraud.

The extradition agreement between the U.S. is a little murky. An extradition agreement with Pakistan was signed in 1931 when the country was part of Britain’s colonial territories. In 1973, independent Pakistan notified the U.S. that the treaty applies.

As recently as 2010, spokespersons for the two countries gave contradictory statements about the existence of a treaty. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy said it was up to the Pakistani government to interpret the agreement.

Former Patients Sue Hospitals

But “Bulldog” Deters and the injured patients have another way at getting their due. They are suing the hospitals where Durrani performed the surgeries. They note that Durrani performed more spine surgeries than anyone in the state and that the hospital needed the money from those surgeries.

On May 29, 2015, the Deters law firm filed four lawsuits against UC (University of Cincinnati) Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and West Chester Hospital—which is operated by UC Health—as well as executives of UC Health and West Chester Hospital.

According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, the suits involve the use of a specific and unapproved treatment at the hospitals. The plaintiffs are asking the court to hold the members of the board and executives at UC Health and West Chester Hospital responsible for Durrani’s actions.

Hospital Liability Alleged

The patients allege that, “Each individual member of the West Chester Hospital Medical Board who provided final approval of Dr. Durrani’s credentialing at West Chester Hospital is individually liable for their intentional shirking of their responsibility to protect the public and patients from Dr. Durrani.”

One suit in Butler County claims that West Chester Hospital and UC Health “failed to initiate peer review of Durrani, despite more than 500 triggers for review being recorded; let Durrani perform more than 30 surgeries while suspended; allowed Durrani to perform multiple surgeries at the same time; knew that another doctor was performing surgeries that Durrani was supposed to; knew Durrani lied about diagnoses; allowed Durrani to turn in dictation about surgeries late; and should have refused to hire Durrani after learning about his privileges being terminated and/or refused at other local hospitals, including Christ Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Deaconess Hospital and St. Elizabeth Hospital.”

Durrani said he resigned over a contractual dispute at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and worked through a six months’ notice. He did not go into specifics, but said conflicts sometimes arise over issues such as paid time off, protected research time and research money.

The patients say that the board, management, staff, employees, nurses, technicians and representatives aided and abetted Durrani’s malpractice “in the same manner as an accessory drives the getaway car or an accomplice holds the bank door.”

Improper Product Use

The lawsuits claim that the hospitals were aware that Durrani was improperly using certain biologic products, but did nothing to stop him. Patient claims they were pressured into unnecessary surgeries by being told the procedures were urgent and that they could become paralyzed or decapitated if they got into a car accident.

Patients claim that Durrani used the biologic products off-label on patients under the age of 18 and without a cage. They say the hospitals knowingly allowed that to happen. They accuse the hospitals of fraud, negligence, violating the Ohio Consumer Sales Protection Act and negligently credentialing Durrani and allowing him to perform the surgeries.

Durrani’s POD

Finally, the lawsuit alleges that Durrani had a 40% ownership interest in the distribution company which sold the products to the hospital.

Gag Order

The Business Courier contacted Eric Deters, UC Health and Children’s Hospital for comment. All declined, citing a gag order issued in Butler County, or a policy against commenting on pending litigation. Durrani’s attorney Michael Lyon also declined to comment, citing the gag order.

So, the mystery of “Where’s Dr. Durrani?” has been solved. Who will pay for the mayhem he left behind is still up for grabs.