Surgeon who dropped pants ‘previously suspended’

A high-flying surgeon suspended from Brisbane hospitals for a theatre room incident was previously suspended by another hospital, court documents reveal.

Dr William Braun

A HIGH-flying Queensland surgeon suspended from Brisbane’s Metro North public hospitals after he was accused of dropping his pants in the operating theatre to get measured for a new suit, was previously suspended by another hospital, court documents state.

Russian-born William Vasily Braun, 44, a weight-loss surgeon who lives in Hamilton, was suspended by Sunnybank Private Hospital in Brisbane’s south in June 2011 and was slapped with a show-cause notice by the healthcare watchdog a month later, court documents reveal.

Emails, statements and legal letter behind suspension of Queensland surgeon Dr William Braun

Dr William Vasily Braun: Court documents reveal the accusations levelled against Queensland surgeon

Dr William Vasily Braun suspended on full pay since February while under investigation

The claims come weeks after The Sunday Mail revealed Dr Braun is fighting in court to overturn his suspension on full pay from Metro North Hospital and Health Service.

Details of Dr Braun’s suspension from Sunnybank Private Hospital and the show cause notice issued by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority were revealed in Brisbane District Court, where Dr Braun is fighting his medical indemnity insurer.

Dr William Braun

The insurer refused to cover him for $434,000 in settlement and legal costs for a negligence claim by a hernia repair patient he operated on at Sunnybank in April 2011.

The patient was alleged to have suffered a urinary bladder injury during a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, court documents state.

In his claim, Dr Braun alleges Sunnybank Private Hospital made allegations concerning Dr Braun’s treatment of the patient, as part of a dispute with him, then suspended his operating privileges.

Just over a year later, in October 2012, the patient’s lawyers served Dr Braun with a notice that she was intending on suing him.

Dr Braun’s lawyers negotiated to pay the woman $375,000 to settle her claim on March 23, 2015, and his own legal costs were a further $59,0000 court documents state.

A second surgeon, Terence Farrell, also paid $375,000 as part of the settlement, court documents state.

Dr Braun alleges his insurer, Avant Insurance Limited, should indemnify him for this payment, as he was covered by insurance in 2012 when the claim was served.

But Avant denies Dr Braun is entitled to be indemnified under his 2012 policy, arguing Dr Braun voided his policy by knowing about the problems with the hernia patient’s surgery in April 2011 but failed tell Avant about it.

Avant alleges in its defence, that Dr Braun should have told Avant that the patient might make a claim because he knew the woman had severe post-operative complications as she was transferred to intensive care and had pending renal failure.

Avant alleges in its defence that the general manager of Sunnybank Private Hospital Sue Thurbon called Dr Braun on May 11, 2011 to talk about the hernia patient after the case was discussed at a hospital “patient care review” meeting.

No hearing date has been set.