NORFOLK, Va. — A Chesapeake doctor charged and accused of performing unnecessary surgical procedures on women without their knowledge or consent appeared in federal court Thursday morning.
OBGYN Javaid Perwaiz, 69, was arrested Friday and charged with one count each of health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters.
Perwaiz appeared before federal Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask in a preliminary and detention hearing.
According to an affidavit, some of the unnecessary surgeries include hysterectomies and tubal ligations among others.
The FBI reported that 173 patients reached out to them after hearing about the case, but they've only interviewed three dozen so far. Investigators found multiple pieces of ID in one of Perwaiz's clinics with different dates of birth. His passports and licenses all had different information on them.
Perwaiz had two practices in Chesapeake: one off of Churchland Boulevard and another on Wimbledon Square. Both have been shut down.
Court documents show plaintiffs in multiple lawsuits alleging that Perwaiz performed up to 30 surgeries in one day and that some ended in irreparable injuries.
Investigators found that he altered ultrasound findings to justify surgery to patients and health groups and that he scared patients with words like "tumor" and "cancer."
Former patient Dracena Trotman said that Perwaiz told her she needed surgery to get rid of cancer.
"He said cancer, if I didn't get it removed I'd have cancer spread all over my body. I actually trusted my doctor to do these surgeries on me," said Trotman.
But Trotman said that when she woke up from surgery, she was missing her reproductive organs.
"He just made me feel less of a woman because of all the stuff he's done. And it's for nothing, all those surgeries are for nothing," said Trotman.
Documents showed that starting in January 2014, Perwaiz performed surgery on 510 patients - with 42% of them undergoing at least two operations.
Investigators also say Perwaiz was billing Medicaid for high numbers of hysteroscopies and had patients going through multiple surgeries, far above other OBGYNs in Virginia.
Luqueen Williams said that she's seen Dr. Perwaiz for 17 years and after she woke up from a minor surgery, he told her that she was no longer capable of having kids.
"He tells me my ovaries are gone from my body and he walks out the door and don't give me no explanation. I went back to ask him, 'Am I going to have kids?' And he said no," said Williams.
Prosecutors gave information about Perwaiz's past incidents of misconduct, including in 1982 when he was censured by the Virginia Board of Medicine for a sexual relationship with another patient and unnecessary surgeries.
Then, in 1996 his license was taken away for tax evasion, but it was reinstated in 1998.
Perwaiz's lawyers said that former patients have called in to support Perwaiz and his care in the community for 40 years.
Perwaiz waived his right to a preliminary hearing and a judge did not set bail.
A spokesperson with Bon Secours said in a statement:
Like many independent physicians, he has held privileges at different hospitals/health systems. Dr. Perwaiz is not employed by Bon Secours.
Chesapeake Regional healthcare had no comment.
A spokesperson with the FBI said that patients should contact Perwaiz’s practice for their records.
If they have additional questions, they can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.
RELATED: Authorities accuse Chesapeake doctor of performing unnecessary surgeries on women without consent
The federal government's affidavit against Perwaiz is below.