Alexios Apazidis, MD, a Deer Park, N.Y.-based spine surgeon, is now cooperating with the law firm that sued him in several racketeering cases, Newsday reported Oct. 22. Dr. Apazidis has been accused of filing dozens of nearly identical operative reports.
In an Oct. 7 affidavit filed in a Brooklyn case, Dr. Apazidis alleged that a former colleague at Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine held a financial interest in a vendor that supplied products to the hospital. Dr. Apazidis said he heard about the arrangement from a colleague at the hospital. Total Ortho has run the orthopedics department at East Meadow-based Nassau University Medical Center since 2019.
Dr. Apazidis also alleged that Total Ortho principals, including Vadim Lerman, MD, and Karen Avanesov, MD, routed surgical patients through NUMC’s emergency department. Federal lawsuits contend the practice helped surgeons avoid scrutiny from the state Workers’ Compensation Board and other oversight bodies.
The Willis Law Group had accused Dr. Apazidis of performing unnecessary surgeries on people claiming injuries from staged accidents. This month, it dropped him as a defendant in at least two cases.
In a separate declaration, Dr. Apazidis recanted his earlier testimony that two Brooklyn residents he operated on in 2022 were injured in a partial ceiling collapse.
Mickey Keane, an attorney for Total Ortho, called the surgeon’s description of emergency department practices “inaccurate and misleading,” in the Newsday report. He said Dr. Avanesov never held a financial stake in the vendor, Vortex Logistics and Support. Dr. Apazidis declined to comment through his attorney.
NUMC is a public hospital carrying more than $1.4 billion in debt, and it began reviewing Total Ortho surgical cases nearly a year ago. A spokesperson said Dr. Avanesov and Dr. Lerman no longer work at the hospital. In August, NUMC agreed to pay Total Ortho $1.2 million to run the department through the end of the year.
Dr. Apazidis’ legal team declined to provide a comment to Becker’s.
Becker’s has reached out to Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Nassau University Medical Center for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
