Florida doc not wearing hearing aid couldn't hear colonoscopy patient screaming: complaint

A Florida doctor is facing disciplinary action after state officials say his failure to wear hearing aids during a colonoscopy left a patient screaming in pain.

According to a Florida Department of Health administrative complaint reviewed by USA TODAY, gastroenterologist Dr. Ishwari Prasad was placed on probation by the state's Board of Medicine after two colonoscopy procedures went wrong under his care.

In one instance at the Tampa Ambulatory Surgery Center in June 2023, Prasad "improperly delegated" tasks to a surgical tech, the complaint reads. The tech did not have a medical license but was instructed by Prasad to perform at least one inappropriate task from a list that includes scope insertion, scope manipulation, manipulating an instrument over polyps or tissue, or removing polyps or tissue.

Prasad is hearing-impaired and uses hearing aids in compliance with what the complaint calls the "minimum prevailing professionals standard of care" to allow him to hear and communicate during procedures.

However, Prasad was not wearing the hearing aids for at least one, if not both, of the procedures detailed in the complaint, rendering the surgical team "unable to effectively communicate" with him, according to the complaint.

Prasad did not immediately return USA TODAY's request for comment Friday.

Doctor failed to hear patient's screams of pain: complaint

The second colonoscopy performed under Prasad that day was on a patient who was not yet fully sedated, the complaint says. During the procedure, Prasad began inserting the scope prematurely, causing the patient to begin yelling, the complaint says.

"(Prasad) did not immediately stop the procedure when it became apparent that (the patient) was not fully sedated," and he failed to realize it because he could not hear the yells, says the complaint. Tasks were also inappropriately delegated to a non-licensed tech during the procedure, the complaint says.

The Miami Herald reported that an emergency restriction order from September provided more details on the second procedure, saying the sedation issue originally arose due to a problem with the patient's IV line.

According to the Herald, the order said that Prasad "continued to insert the scope despite being told to wait and began to thrust the scope into (the patient’s) rectum while (the patient) shouted in pain."

“(The patient) began to yell and shouted that he was in pain and could still feel everything,” the order said, according to the Herald. “Dr. Prasad continued to move the scope while (the patient) continued to scream.”

The outlet also reported that a hospital administrator had been present in the room and told Prasad he needed to wait, to which the gastroenterologist "leaned over (the patient) and shouted "I know!" to the administrator, yet continued to manipulate the scope.”

Placed on probation

Prasad, who has been licensed to practice in Florida since 1990, has been placed on probation as a result of the complaints. He was also fined $7,500 and must pay an additional $6,301 in case costs. He is required to take a five-hour course on continuing medical education in laws, rules and ethics before the deadline of Aug. 7, 2025.

Prasad's probation means he will not be able to perform any procedures on his own until he either is evaluated for competency by one of the multiple designated programs or performs 10 gastroenterology procedures “under the supervision of a physician" who will then make a recommendation to the probation committee.