Florida Doctor Loses License After Aborting Wrong Twin

By Marrecca Fiore Apr 14th 2010 1:05PM A Florida obstetrician/gynecologist who accidentally aborted the wrong fetus in a woman carrying twins has lost his medical license, the St. Petersburg Times reports.  Dr. Michael J. Kachinas of Sarasota treated a woman identified in Florida state records as K.M. in January 2006, agreeing to perform a procedure on her called selective reduction, which involves aborting one or more fetuses in a woman carrying multiple babies. The woman conceived twins using in vitro fertilization.  Kachinas had performed abortions, but had not previously done a selective reduction. During the procedure, he mistakenly believed a health girl fetus was that of a boy diagnosed with congenital defects including a possible heart problem and Down syndrome. The female twin appeared healthy.  "It seemed like something that was within my purview, that I would be able to do safely and appropriately," Kachinas said Monday in a telephone interview with the newspaper after his license was revoked at a meeting Friday of the Florida Board of Medicine in Tampa.  "I have never, ever in my entire career ever said 'no' to a patient," he added. "And that was my downfall." Both twins were ultimately terminated.  Dr. Laura Corio, an obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice and affiliated with Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, called the story "upsetting" and told AOL Health that Kachinas should have never attempted the procedure.  "To have gone through in vitro and end up losing the healthy twin is so sad," said Corio, who is a women's health expert for AOL Health. "Most importantly, as physicians, we should be doing procedures we are credentialed for. At Mount Sinai, each year our privileges are renewed and we have to be approved for each procedure we perform. This procedure of selective reduction is performed by perinatologists, not ob/gyns." Kachinas also apparently did not have the proper equipment to handle such a procedure, which Corio said raises another red flag. "If he did not have the correct equipment, why do it?" she questioned. "And, this is not a procedure you do for the first time. The mother should have been referred out to a major institution where these are done daily."  Related: 10 Questions About Down Syndrome Free food packs.                     Sundance Global   BE PREPARED   htpp://heavenlyhands.mysundanceglobal.com                      15 Year shelf life http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/04/14/florida-doctor-loses-license-after-aborting-wrong-twin/?ncid=txtlnkusheal00000001 __________________________________________________________________   Easily grow your own vegetables anywhere .      Click here: Easy Victory Garden