EAST BRUNSWICK – The medical license of an East Brunswick surgeon has been suspended due to accusations of him reusing rectal catheters.
Dr. Sanjiv K. Patankar allegedly washed and reused the small, flexible, single-use catheters inserted into multiple patients’ rectums during anorectal diagnostic testing procedures, according to a statement prepared by Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Patankar allegedly used the catheters on patients undergoing “anorectal manometry” testing in his office, which is performed to evaluate patients with constipation, fecal incontinence or other possible disorders that may involve the anorectal sphincter, according to the statement.
​During a hearing on Dec. 26, the state argued that even though the packaging on the catheters specifically states “do not reuse,” Patankar allegedly reused them on multiple patients because the anorectal manometry testing equipment in his office is outdated and replacement catheters from the manufacturer are on backorder, according to the statement.
​Patankar allegedly instructed his medical assistants to wash the used catheters in soap and water, soak them in bleach solution for 30 minutes, and then rinse and let air dry, according to the statement. Once the catheters were dry, they were put back in their original packaging so they could be reused. Even when a catheter began breaking down from over-bleaching, Patankar allegedly ordered his medical assistant to continue using it, the state alleges.
​During a hearing on Dec. 19, the committee heard conflicting testimony from Patankar’s medical assistants about the reuse of catheters. However, the committee resolved the discrepancies in favor of the state, finding that documentary evidence showed that although 82 anorectal procedures were performed in Patankar’s office between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2017, there were only five catheters ordered during that period of time, according to the statement.
​“It is appalling that a doctor would engage in such an unsanitary and dangerous practice,” Porrino said in the statement. “Through his alleged conduct, Dr. Patankar has demonstrated a reckless disregard for public safety that placed countless patients at risk of communicable diseases.”
​“Dr. Patankar’s alleged conduct not only violates professional standards, it reveals an alarming lack of judgment that calls into question his fitness to practice,” Sharon Joyce, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, said in the statement. “By temporarily suspending his license, the board fulfilled its duty to protect the public from this practitioner while these very disturbing allegations are pending.”
​Under the committee’s order, Patankar’s license will remain temporarily suspended pending a full hearing in the Office of Administrative Law on the allegations against him, and until the board takes final action based on the OAL’s findings.
​Patankar was given a 30-day wind-down period during which he can only practice in a hospital setting, and during which he must provide documentation to the board that he is transferring his care to other physicians, according to the statement.
The committee further ordered that Patankar must provide the board with a list of patients who underwent anal manometry testing from Jan. 1, 2011, to the present, according to the statement.
The committee gave Patankar the opportunity for reconsideration of its decision at the Jan. 10 board meeting. However, this opportunity can only be invoked if he has documentary evidence supporting that he in fact ordered catheters that would account for all of the 82 procedures that he performed from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2017, according to the statement.
​Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/Pages/File-a-Complaint-old.aspx.
