Complaint Review: Robert V. Cattani M.D.

In 2002, I went to Robert V. Cattani, M.D., in New York City, for a consultation for a rhinoplasty to correct damage caused by a childhood accident. After a thorough interview, we agreed on the date for the surgery. He was very kind, and put my mind at ease.

The surgery went off without a hitch. However, a few weeks after my bandages came off and the swelling went down, I realized something was wrong. The left side of my nose had "collapsed", the nostrils were very different, the tip looked like it was sliding off one side, and was literally JUTTING OUT from my face.

I made an appointment and showed Mr. Cattani what was happening. He pooh-poohed me, saying that it was fine, to give it a few more weeks and that if the tip was still jutting out, he would inject the cartiledge with steroids to bring it down.

I was horrorfied, and got a second opinion from another surgeon who is tops in her field, and who I didn't see originally because of the high cost. She warned me that cartiledge isn't "brought down" with steriods, that the damage was permanent, and that only surgery would correct it. He had taken too much material from my nose and weakened the structure, causing the deformity.

Of course I was now scared to ask him to fix his mistake, as he had pretended nothing was wrong and so therefore showed himself to be unscrupulous, not someone I should trust to put me under the knife again. So I went back to ask him to please return my money to me so that I could fix his mistake. He saw me again, heard what my second opion said, and after an examination (where he remained silent and no longer pretended nothing was wrong), he said that he was going to consult with a "colleage" to get a second opinion, and would get back to me.

SECOND OPINION?!?! I acquienced, thinking that his conscious would get the best of him and that he would, in the end, do the honorable thing and refund my money. He insisted I take a few pictures for his 'colleage' (i.e. lawyer), and said he would get back to me. He didn't. He never got back to me, even after I repeatedly called and sent him letters.

Finally, after 3 weeks I went to see him at his office in person, and he had his secretary tell me that he was busy, that I'd have to call to make an appointment.

Four days later, I received a letter from him, WARNING me that if I returned there, he would call the police. I couldn't believe this man called himself a doctor.

He is a con-man, incompetent, and unconscionable. I never got it fixed as the surgery is now more expensive than it would have been originally, because it now requires reconstruction. I just hope and pray no one else gets dupped into allowing this butcher to take a scalpel to their body.

Please beware of this man. It is frightening that he is still in business, just because people assume that the office he holds for consultation is in a posh neighborhood and so therefore he must be good. He's not. He's a monster.

Nadia
New York, New York
U.S.A.