The Medical Board of California filed a complaint against Dr. Bonilla two year ago, accusing the physician of negligence and incompetence in performing gallbladder surgery on a patient. According to the complaint, in 2008 Dr. Bonilla performed the surgery in his office without an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist and delivered a fatal dose of lidocaine. Healthcare experts testified his choice of anesthetic lidocaine was an unusual one, as gallbladder surgery is traditionally performed with general anesthesia in a hospital, according to the report.
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Dr. Bonilla was found guilty and sentenced to 180 days in jail and five years of probation. He also agreed to give up his medical license as a condition of his probation, according to the report. Dr. Bonilla has already appealed his conviction and will apply for reinstatement of his license.
Read the report about Dr. Roberto Bonilla.
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