4/4/2011
The illustrious dr. craig alan bittner pled guilty to a felony on Monday. He has an opportunity to knock that to a misdemeanor in 2 years. He also loses his license for 5 years and must pay restitution to his victims in the amount of their original surgeries. The nasty stephanie darcy pled guilty to a felony and also has the 2 year option. The equally creepy jonathan martin pled to a felony and has the opportunity to have it dismissed in one year.
WHAT’S RIGHT: Unlike his fraud case for his previous company, this time he was punished. (The last time he was charged, he shut down the company rather than face the music.) Things seem to be going downhill as tIme goes on. While his license is surrendered, no other state will grant him a license as CA notifies them all and there is a general agreement between states on such an issue. In order to get his license back, the CA Medical Board will investigate the facts surrounding the case. In such cases, the Board rarely grants a new license. Please keep in touch and I’ll let everyone know when he can apply again. At that time, letters sent to the Board will have a great impact on their decision. In 2 years letters to the court may also help to keep them from granting a reduction of the count of felony to misdemeanor. Please join the FB group http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002218341620 , you can create an alternate profile to protect your identity and will be notified when letters are needed and if any further legal action can be taken.
That victims will receive some monies is a start, but is not enough.
WHAT’S WRONG: For starters, the fact that a plea bargain was struck is wrong. Equally wrong is any opportunity for a reduction or dismissal of any of the felonies. Why CA would even consider letting a person who performed multiple felony surgeries on uninformed patients without licensing the opportunity to dismiss that felony is beyond me.
Equally wrong is the conditions of restitution. Refund of the original surgery fees is insulting. I have already paid almost TWICE the original fee for corrections and have at least another $10K more to go. That comes out to THREE TIMES the original cost. Ms. Chen, we should be made WHOLE!
craig alan bittner is still able to be a partner in other clinics and hold up to 49% of the interest. He is NOT allowed to see, manage or otherwise be involved with patients, their files or their care. Anyone who finds that he has an interest in any new medical ventures at all or that he is violating the patient care restrictions is welcome to forward the information to me or the Medical Board. The Board will be following any reports about his activities.
Stephanie Darcy and Rodney Davis are reported to be working at PacificLipo. Why anyone would hire them is beyond me. That makes me suspect..(“suspect”, note the qualifier)…that perhaps (again a qualifier) the clinic is owned either partly by bittner or by a cronie of his. My guess is that my suspicions are a bit more than possibly valid.
WHAT’S NEXT: I am also investigating the possibility of a class action suit for actual damages. Please join the FB group and subscribe to this blog so you can be included in any further legal action and to help keep his license revoked. If you change email addresses, please update them in both places. It will be very important for your voices to be heard when the courts and Medical Board are considering changes to the counts and licensing. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002218341620
DOCUMENTRAY: There is a documentary being made by a BH Plastic Surgeon. It will address the issue of doctors like bittner, him in particular, how to avoid them and possibly how the legal system does not punish them enough. The producer has agreed to blur or darken faces at your request. If you would like to be part of the group to be interviewed, let me know. They have accepted my request to put a group together and have a mass interview and for me to have final edit on our section to keep everyone safe. Many of us around a table will help to emphasize the number of victims and will personalize the interview greatly. The Board will get access to the documentary and I have it on good authority that it will be VERY helpful to keep his license from being recovered.
Another Dr. Craig Alan Bittner Victim 
Thank you so much for this info. I can not believe he is even back in the country. I still have the pictures they took of me while I was unconsious. I was mortified that they dressed me up in stupid costumes, took pictures of me and then had the nerve to email them to me. who knows what else they did while I was out of it? I was totally freaked out by that. I can not believe a judge would let them off like this. I have not been able to correct my mis-formed body. I now just have to live in long pants and sleeves. It’s a shame they are allowed to do what they have done to people and get away with it. If I knew then wht I know now. I never would have done it.
Thank you for sharing the info with me.
S. Kim
Comment by S.Kim — April 6, 2011 @ 12:05 pm |
Thank you so much for doing this and going the extra mile to stop him. I have pretty much the same story as everyone else but I am shocked about Kim’s post…..why did he dress you up in a costume??
Comment by Kelli Michael — April 6, 2011 @ 2:00 pm |
Although I REALLY wanted to and was ready to testify against the SCUMBAG, at least he came back to the States and we got him!!! So many witnesses bailed but there was NO WAY I could ever sleep at night knowing I didn’t go through to the end. Looking forward to whatever it takes to keep his license from him as well as keeping his much earned and deserved FELONY charges intact.
Thanks woman for your bravery in everything including this site. We’ll soon meet face to face and continue to take on any and all future fights till the END!!!
Comment by got-him-girl — April 6, 2011 @ 8:24 pm |
Yes I want to be part of class action suit.
yes I want to be part of documentary.
How to I get my money back to hace corrective surgery
Thank u kelly wright 310-213-6770
Comment by kelly wright — April 14, 2011 @ 6:51 am |
Absolutely! That man is a HACK! I will do the documentary, be part of a class action, and most definitely would like restitution in order to get some corrective surgery. Anyone found someone they trust who has done good revision work? I’m understandably worried, but after 3 years really want to give it a try. I filed a complaint with the medical board a year ago and never heard a thing.
Comment by heidisme — April 17, 2011 @ 9:24 pm |
Heidi,
More on docu later, producer is out of the state for a while. I’m keeping track of restitution process and will let everyone know when I get news. I had some good…and paineless revisions that corrected a lot…but not all. See the website for info. If you need extensive work, I have been recommending David Amron. He has been correcting a lot of the worst cases and has a good reputation. I have not discussed fat transfers with my doctor so I don’t know if he does them. Many of the women need them, it does not appear that I do. I’ll keep you posted.
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 17, 2011 @ 9:40 pm |
I met with the producer today and feel confident that his intentions are above board. I will receive an immediate copy of the raw footage to keep so that everyone will be protected. He has suggested that we will sit at a table. Those who wish to be in silhouette will sit together and additional facial concealment will be added as requested during editing. (Thanks to those of you willing to show your faces!) Tentative dates for the group interview are sundays: May 15th and 22nd.
Those of you attending the group interview: please contact me and let me know if either or both dates work for you.
MORE NEWS: Oh my! Nothing yet on restitution, but there is some important new news on former bittner employees and yet another re-incarnation of BHLS. A new post with details is coming soon!
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 21, 2011 @ 3:25 pm |
Interesting news. Glad I found your website. It appears that Dr. Bittner’s Physician Assistant Trevor Schmidt has started a company called MyShape Lipo in Las Vegas and claims to have performed over 5000 procedures after only working for a year at BHL. How in the world did he get licensed in Neveda too? I called there and Trevor answered the phone himself 🙂 I started asking questions and didn’t feel comfortable with the quick sales pitchy answers. So my sister and I starting digging a bit and found your site. I wonder if this Bittner character has financial ties to Myshape Lipo too. Is anyone checking backgrounds on these people before they get other state licenses? My sister is a nurse so this kind of stuff really creeps us out.
Thanks for info.
Comment by Y. Bobadilla — April 30, 2011 @ 12:23 pm |
While we have no proof I would say it is highly likely that bittner is part of this. I have not had time to put the info together, but the “doc” at MyShape worked for bittner, is a family physician and went to school at some hokey college of the caribbean in the west indies.
Just an FYI for now. Trevor worked on me. He was so rough and abusive that I thought he was going to shove me off the table. I’m not kidding, he was so violent that he moved me with the very first jab and continued. after just a minute or so he had shoved me so hard that my shoulder and head crossed the edge of the table. He raked huge trenches in me and left weird lumps. It was so painful…none of my subsequent surgeries have been painful at all and I was given less meds and stayed awake. I also recovered very fast, in about a week. What Trevor did to me was swollen, hard and painful for almost 6 months.
Trevor was the one PA with a clean license, yet he obviously knew that the others were not licensed and did nothing about it. Licensed or not, his work was horrible and painful. PA’s should not be doing this work..no matter how “minimally invasive” they claim it is. It requires far more skill that Trevor has and I have spent twice the original price over 5 surgeries so far to repair the damage. The scar tissue on my legs is so deep and so tragic that I may not even do more surgery there. I still have several more procedures to go and even then there are things that cannot be repaired.
Spread the word, share this URL and subscribe to the blog. We need to educate and hear from people who find other clinics like this!
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 30, 2011 @ 6:57 pm |
I was told that in California, you don’t have to be an actual DOCTOR to perform “Liposculpture”. This may be the same in Nevada. you may want to check with the Nevada Board of Med. Either way, I would report this person. That’s how Bittner got away with performing in California in the first place. He WAS a doctor – a Doctor of Radiology. So legally, he could call himself a Doctor, it’s just that we didn’t know to check what his doctorate was in. I don’t know, but I hope CA has tightened this loophole; it would be nice if Nevada has too.
Comment by Raven InRed — June 27, 2011 @ 2:44 pm
Hi Raven, nice to have you! One does not have to be a doctor, but must be a PA. The PA, Trevor Schmidt, was licensed but obviously a hack, he did to me what you see in the photos. The other PA, Rodney Davis had a probationary license because he lied on his CA license application, of which we all should have been apprised. Jonathan and Kyle, not to mention staphanie…no mistake in the name…I fee it’s appropriate…..had no license at all, or legal training. More importantly, Trevor and Rodney, per the hippocratic oath, were ethically bound to disclose and report the unlicensed people. NO one believes for a moment that they did not know.
Part of this is the fault of HMO’s and insurance companies, they pay so little, especially not that coverage is considered a right, instead of something you earn, doctors are cutting corners anywhere they can. Part belongs to the government and medical board who allow it to happen and part to our legal system that fails to prosecute and punish. This brings us to the major culprits, the people who care more about money that quality, ethical care for patients.
There is a new site and new efforts in the works and I will love to have your help! (Especially because I see you have connections and talents that will be a wonderful addition! 🙂
In the meantime, if you did not file a complaint with the medical board please do so now. We have it on good authority, that complaints that are still coming in will be a valuable asset!!!!! Please blast the site and blog any and everywhere you can and encourage victims to file if they have not done so already.
The site went up in 2008 and I did the best I could even though the victims were not allowed to talk to each other about the case. Now that we can talk I’m hoping we can make a bigger impact. Be patient, there is much to do before we move on. When we do, I’m hoping that we will have some great resources to make a bigger impact than the original case did.
Glad to have you!
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — June 27, 2011 @ 7:21 pm
i just found your site. i too would like to be a part of a class action lawsuit. please let me know what i need to do. …i hope some good can come from all this pain.
Comment by Debbie Manriquez — May 3, 2011 @ 12:32 pm |
At this time it seems that the only people who still have a chance at a civil suit are those whose surgery was no more than 3 years ago, so if you had surgery after May 2008 you can file. There seems to be a point of law that might open up the opportunity to more people. I was told that we might extend the statute of limitations if we can prove he was hiding out or not in the country. I’m trying to find some counsel on this avenue and will let everyone know if it can be done.
Please join the FB group and consider doing the interview on May 22. I am working to find help through media exposure and other projects. The site is going to be revamped in a few months and there will be lots of new info on it. I’m doing everything I can to find help. Don’t give up hope, we will accomplish more!
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — May 3, 2011 @ 1:33 pm |
The interview for next Sunday is shaping up nicely. There are several of us who have chosen to be filmed without concealment.
One victim who is participating believes that her family attorney might be interested in a legal case despite the statute of limitation issue. I’ll post news when I get confirmation, so, there may yet be a way to fight for restitution for more victims.
There is strength in numbers and our resources are better! The beautiful lady who may have found us some legal help is going to be part of the interview and she is bravely agreeing to have her face shown. We all hope that on Sunday we can thank her for her effort, and hopefully for making it happen!
If you find that you may now be able to be part of the interview please let me know! Thanks to all who are already taking part!
You’ve seen these on my FB and in my email…but I want to share them with you again:
“Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” > attributed to Edmund Burke
Well, that is not really what Burke said, but it nearly interprets what was probably the source:
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
From Burke’s ‘Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontents”
Still, even “interpreted” the sentiment is powerful and true.
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — May 30, 2011 @ 10:44 pm |
Hey, I think I might have been one of his first victims, and I might be unique in that when I complained about the outcome of the “surgery”, he said he would “fix me up” with a just a little “here and there” for free. This is when he was practicing in the Towers in Beverly Hills. (The gross part – my therapist is on the same floor in the ‘different wing”, so I have to see the damn place every couple of weeks.) So I go back in, he doses me up again, and not only does he allow his receptionist/girlfriend to operate the equipment, but he allows her to do so when he leaves the room, so she is doing so while UNSUPERVISED. Wild thing – we have photos of this whole procedure and the one before, where both he and she are laughing, handing machinerey improperly and without regard for health or safety. I don’t know WHY he allowed us to take photos of the entire procedure. Yes, he did more than initially contracted to do. And the second time, actually hurt me with just a brusque back and forth motion, taking no care in actual ‘sculpting”. The recovery time was longer than I was told, more painful than I was told, messier than I was told, and then when I was able to actually look at the end product – I actually collapsed, in tears. I had a rippled torso and thighs. I went to a differnt doctor for my breast-augentation, doing better homework, and he had actually heard of Dr. Bittner and had started a file, along with some other colleagues, of complaints he was receiving from his clients. He was (still might) be willing to go to the board and/or testify (contact me privately). The rippling still remains (2011) in my stomach and I am traumatized. I confronted him outside his “new offices” at “Beverly Hills Liposculpture” and confronted him about only being a radiologist and not a licensed doctor of Plastic Surgery. He told me you didn’t have to be in order to do Liposculpture in California at that time. He and his girlfriend were very “understanding” that I was unhappy with my results, but were happy to hand over copies of my records so I could hand them over to to my new (licensed) plastic surgeon and were very careful to admit no wrong-doing. Just a kind of general “F-u”. So, I will be happy to do WHATEVER YOU NEED at this juncture, records, interviews, face-to-face confrontations, on the record summations, submissions of those old “procedure” photographs showing “Dr. Bittner and girlfriend/receptionist” both working on me and laughing, handling equipment in an improper manner…you name it I got it.
I GOT IT ALL.
Comment by Raven InRed — June 27, 2011 @ 2:37 pm |
PS – wish I had known about this site a LONG time ago.
Comment by Raven InRed — June 27, 2011 @ 2:38 pm |
I just want my money back, I saw no difference after the surgery but an indent & so I called to come back in & they said no problem but then a week later they were shut down. He wasnt the one that performed my procedure either, some nice looking young man did. He said he was recruited & was somewhere from south carolina or texas or something. Does anyone know who I mean? I dont remember his name & was expecting Dr.Bittner to perform the procedure.
Comment by Laura T. — July 22, 2011 @ 11:22 pm |
Court ordered restitution: Only those who filed complaints and were part of the original investigation are due restitution….and it will take time. I have been urging everyone to file all along! In situations like this, those who speak up and make an effort are the only ones likely to be part of any settlement. I am working to finding other avenues for some help. There are no guarantees, but only those that participate will have an opportunity should the prove successful.
You can see the picture of the “staff” on http://www.mydralanbittnerstory.com/websiteclaims.html
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — July 24, 2011 @ 11:25 am |
As the hearings have continued I have found the reason that only 6 are mentioned for restitution. bittner, now “smith” (yep no joke) took a please before the trial began. The court ordered restitution to the 6 witnesses that had ALREADY been scheduled to appear. No one was intentionally excluded, had the trial proceeded no doubt other victims would have been scheduled to be witnesses. Restitution was based merely on scheduling in place at the time of the plea.
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 6, 2014 @ 9:14 pm
I am so sorry that any of you has suffered at the hands of that man. How does he go to sleep at night knowing the harm he has inflicted? I don’t understand how he is not locked up forever. A board certified plastic surgeon butchered me. Being board certified only means that someone had the ability to take tests. Medical school doesn’t teach someone to have common sense, or have ethics, or to listen to someone. The doctor who butchered me treated my skin like it was fat, and he literally sucked me dry. Since surgery I have been disabled and in levels of pain I didn’t know existed. I am dying a slow, excruciating death. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. He suctioned out essential connective tissues from my waist to below my knees during a breast reduction. He suctioned out my buttock, he suctioned out below my buttock, he suctioned out my posterior legs, he suctioned out tissue on my distal knee, he suctioned out tissue on my lateral legs on top of my strong muscles – all without need or consent. I can’t sit, move, walk, or function properly because I was literally butchered. It is surgical battery. I had only agreed to a circumspect amount of liposuction focused on my upper lateral thigh during the medically needed breast reduction. Most liposuction was contra-indicated because I was athletic and strong, but had loose skin from a prior weight gain decades earlier. The surgeon who butchered me has horrible reviews on vitals.com by other patients, yet he is still operating on unsuspecting patients. I am concerned about dying out on the street because I haven’t been able to run my business since surgery. Everything resource I had is gone. The doctors who see me now agree that the harm is irreversible (which I knew when I came out of surgery convulsing). I think that liposuction should be outlawed. It is invasive and horrible and board certified or not, these guys are just guessing how much adipose tissue to suction out.
Comment by L.H. — April 24, 2013 @ 11:01 pm |
So I have an appointment with Trevor Schmidt in a couple weeks. After reading this I am worried. Any insight….
Comment by Sheila Nelson — April 6, 2014 @ 2:29 pm |
Trevor did my right side, he was a licensed PA. Jonathan did my left he had no license and as far as I know never went to school. Believe it or not, the side Trevor did was more F&*%$! up than the other side. The tear to my abdominal wall is in the middle so I really have no idea which one did that. I have had many vic… patients from the Nevada clinic who have contacted me and complained about Trevor.
It’s not worth a few dollars saved to go through what hundreds of victims have gone through. You might consider the character of your… technician as well. My experience, and that of many others, is enough for me to say the Trevor’s character…. is lacking. If for no other reason than he knew that other staff members were not licensed and did nothing about it.
Personally, I would (now) NEVER allow anyone but a DOCTOR to do lipo on me, no matter how “minimally invasive” they say it is. I would stick with a plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon or a good dermatological surgeon, meaning that they have a specialty in those areas and are board certified IN plastics, dermatology etc. A good plastic surgeon is your best bet, but the other two should be qualified as well for this procedure.
Some of us have been going through court hearings here in LA for the last year. One woman brought in pictures where the staff members dressed her up in costumes while she was drugged. I will have to pull them out to confirm that there is proof Trevor participated, but I, personally, have no doubt he was aware of the situation.
The NV clinic is/was advertising on Craigslist when I first found them. THAT alone would be all I would need to avoid them! The choice ultimately is yours.
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 6, 2014 @ 9:07 pm |
Is this a real question, seriously? Unless you’re okay with being deformed for the rest of your life then yes you should be worried! Why would you even consider it after reading what he’s done to dozen of women?
Sent from my iPhone
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Comment by Kelli — April 6, 2014 @ 10:00 pm
Well put Kelli!
Comment by Another Dr. Bittner Victim — April 7, 2014 @ 6:58 am
I just found this sight, i had lipo 6 7 years ago . i blocked out actual date the extreme lumpy uneven tummy brings me to tears every time i look at it! i feel he ruined my figure. I would like to get corrective surgery.
Comment by Lovena — August 29, 2014 @ 9:35 pm |