Orthopedic surgeon, Valentin Antoci, M.D, has had his license to perform surgical procedures reinstated in the State of Washington after a hearing determined he was not an immediate threat or danger to patients.
On March 5, 2018, Washington’s Medical Quality Assurance Commission barred him from performing surgical procedures until a full hearing could be held.
The Commission accused Antoci of failing to treat a patient’s shoulder injury and not recognizing a post-operation complication resulting in the patient losing long-term arm function.
According to documents from the Commission, Antoci is also alleged to have failed to properly diagnose and treat an infection in another patient’s ankle, putting the 64-year-old man at risk for an amputation.
“(Antoci’s) substandard care of patients A and B demonstrates a lack of surgical skill and judgment that poses a serious threat to patient safety,” the commission’s order said. “(His) treatment of patients A and B and management of their care is inconsistent with safe practice and creates and unreasonable and imminent risk of patient harm.”
Commissioners said in their findings that the “least restrictive” way to protect Antoci’s patients was to restrict his surgical procedures until a full hearing is conducted on the matter.
Antoci was given 20 days to respond to the charges and request a hearing.
Commission Hearing
He filed his response on March 26 and denied the allegations.
The Commission convened a show of cause hearing on April 9, 2018. Because an “inordinate” amount of time had passed between the two surgeries in the complaint, the Commission decided that there was not enough evidence to show that there was an immediate threat or danger, and lifted Antoci’s restriction.
There is still a pending Enforcement Action active on the Commission’s website for Antoci.
Antoci went to medical school Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy located in Chișinău, Moldova. According to Doximity.com he had fellowships at the University of Buffalo and Shriners Hospital for Children.
According to the 2012 public announcement of his arrival in Sunnyside, he was an orthopedic surgeon and chief of surgery at Mimbres Memorial Hospital in Deming, New Mexico. He also was a clinical associate professor in the department of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation at Texas Tech University.
He practices at Valley Regional Orthopedics in Sunnyside, Washington.
The full documents at the Washington Commission can be accessed here.
