CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A Chesapeake doctor was arrested on Friday for alleged health care fraud and false statements related to health care matters.
Court documents say the Federal Bureau of Investigation started investigating 69-year-old Javaid Perwaiz in September 2018, when they received a tip from a hospital employee who suspected he was performing unnecessary surgeries on unsuspecting patients.
The patients were unaware of the procedures they were undergoing in most of the procedures, according to court documents.
Investigators say Perwaiz repeatedly subjected Medicaid patients to the procedures. From January 2014 to August 2018, Perwaiz performed a surgical procedure on 40 percent of his Medicaid patients, 510 in total. Of the patients, 42 percent underwent two or more surgeries, according to court documents.
The hospital employee told investigators that Perwaiz’s patients advised hospital staff that they were there for their “annual cleans out.”
Now, other patients are concerned they have the same fate.
Stacie Specht says she feels violated after learning her former obstetrician-gynecologist may not have been as trustworthy as she thought.
“I was utterly shocked, like I said, he was — I thought — a decent guy, always nice to me and my family, super sweet. I had to, like, catch my breath for a second,” she said.
Court documents state Perwaiz allegedly treated several patients with procedures like hysterectomies and tubal ligation under pressure without their knowledge for at least four years.
One woman revealed she is no longer able to bear children.
Some former patients like Stacie are second guessing their own health after his care.
“I thought my insides were just taking a while to heal cause I had two c-sections in two years, but now I’m like, maybe this pain from hysterically laughing or these random stomach cramps could be something else,” she said.
Perwaiz has history with the law: The affidavit says he lost privileges at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth due to performing unnecessary surgeries in 1982.
He also pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 1996 and lost his medical license.
In addition, he has been the subject of at least eight malpractice suits.
She is not the only one. Perwaiz helped deliver all four of Ashley Jones’s children. She says he then pressured into get her tubes tied — tubal ligation — even though she didn’t really need to or want to.
“I’m just really concerned because now I’m thinking with what I’ve been going through after doing my fifth surgery with him, what if something is wrong,” said Jones.
Stacie said she thought she knew who was treating her family, but now has a totally different view.
“I just feel disgusted, like, I feel violated — it’s just gross to think about that somebody would do that,” she said.
Perwaiz remains in custody at Western Tidewater Regional Jail and has a court appearance on Nov. 14.
WAVY News 10 received several stories from women who believe they may also be a victim. Stacie says she’s already scheduled an appointment with a new doctor to check things out.
She may also hire a lawyer.