The famed plastic surgeon, dubbed the “breast god,” has been sued for a fourth time for malpractice after one of his patients allegedly suffered sepsis and necrosis after a breast augmentation.
Dr. Leonard “Lenny” Hochstein, 55, is facing legal action from former patient Malen Ortega, who claims she suffered a dangerous infection and that parts of her body died thanks to her April 2019 makeover, which also included a tummy tuck.
Her lawsuit, vehemently denied by Miami’s Hochstein, alleges that he “failed to meet the prevailing standards of medical care required of a healthcare professional” following her surgery at Med Spa South Florida.
The lawsuit also alleges that Ortega’s incisions “began to turn purple and appear necrotic” just two days after the operation. Ortega says she called Hochstein’s office for weeks about her body’s health, but “never visited or answered.”
She decided to seek medical attention at a local hospital after “suffering excruciating pain and being in intensive care” for some time. The lawsuit alleges that after the operation, Ortega experienced a lack of blood, “which, in turn, caused necrosis and tissue death, leading to the loss of the entire lower abdominal wall.”
Dr. Leonard “Lenny” Hochstein, 55, faces a fourth lawsuit in less than three years after one of his patients, Maylen Ortega, recently filed a lawsuit against him in 2019 after her incisions allegedly “began to turn purple and appear necrotic.” just two days after breast augmentation and tummy tuck surgery
Ortega had to go under the knife again, but this time for a skin graft in the area to repair the damage. In her lawsuit, she claims that she is currently experiencing “constant mutilation, mental anguish, psychological trauma, severe scars, increased changes due to the need for further surgery, embarrassment and humiliation” and much more.
She is now suing Hochstein, whose celebrity clients include real-life Atlanta housewife Kim Zosiak, for at least $30,000 in damages and a jury trial.
Hochstein, whose wife is real-life Miami housewife Lisa Hochstein, 39, says the August 2021 filing date for the lawsuit was four months after the statute of limitations expired, and that Ortega only became ill after failing to follow his post-op instructions for recovery.
contacted Ortega’s lawyers for further comment.
The lawsuit alleges that Hochstein had a lack of blood after Hochstein operated on her. Pictured: Dr. Hochstein and his wife, The Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein.
Hochstein’s famous patients include The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolczak, who received a breast augmentation from the so-called Boob God.
In response, Hochstein called his former client’s accusations a “sham” and denied any malpractice. He even requested through his lawyers that Ortega’s claim be dismissed for several reasons, one of which was that Ortega filed after the statute of limitations had expired.
“There was no malpractice,” Hochstein said in a statement shared by Page Six. “This case does not make sense due to the patient’s failure to follow clear and direct instructions from the doctor.”
However, a case management application has been filed extending the suit until 2023.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Hochstein, whose net worth is estimated at $50 million, has been involved in a malpractice lawsuit. Three other lawsuits against him are still pending.
Prior to his legal battle with Ortega, he was sued in August 2021 by a patient named Jennifer Getci who claimed she “altered and deformed her genitals” after the operation he performed on her.
Another woman, Luz Del Alba, also filed a lawsuit against Hochstein in June 2021, citing that she was left with “large open wounds” and “significant limitation” of arm movement after the surgeon raised her hip and arm.
Christine Wilson was the first woman to sue Hochstein in 2019 for “pain and suffering” due to complications from her procedures.
According to Page Six, Hochstein denied any wrongdoing during the operation on Wilson at the time, and placed the responsibility on his assistant.
“In 2017, I interviewed a surgical assistant that I wanted to hire for my practice. As part of the interrogation, he was asked to get stitches,” he said.
“In the end, I decided not to hire him, but the needle left in Ms. Wilson was solely due to his negligence. I approached Miss Wilson hoping to correct his mistake, but instead she decided to sue me.”
When asked about Getcha’s lawsuit, he said, “I take the other allegations seriously and look forward to my day in court to clear my reputation.”
“I have been a surgeon for 31 years. So far, I have never been prosecuted for abuse of office. In this litigious environment, this is a great achievement. I can also tell you that my lawyer strongly believes that we will win in these two cases as well.”
Kristin Wilson was the first of four former patients to file a lawsuit against Dr. Hochstein after she suffered complications from her procedures.
Former Real Housewife of Atlanta star Kim Zolczak is just one of several celebrities who have turned to Dr. Hochstein for plastic surgery.
Hochstein also filed a lawsuit against RealSelf, a medical review website, after he received a lot of negative feedback about his practice.
In the lawsuit, he described the testimonials as “false, defamatory and/or published by a non-real patient or person who actually used the doctor’s services.”
The website responded to the surgeon’s allegations through his attorney, stating, “The vast majority of plastic surgeons understand that the consumer empowerment that RealSelf brings is good for patients and providers alike…”
“Unfortunately, sometimes a doctor resorts to ill-advised litigation instead of taking reviews online and trying to improve. In such cases, we strongly defend ourselves, including seeking reimbursement of legal costs when such cases are not considered in court.”
All four trials against Hochstein are still pending, although it remains unknown when Ortega’s next trial will begin.