Dr. Yolanda Lagunas (Lagunas’ website).
A Texas doctor with nearly four decades of experience had her license suspended after “major issues” with her care led to the deaths of two babies during delivery, the state’s medical board concluded.
Dr. Yolanda Lagunas’ license was temporarily rescinded earlier this month by the Texas Medical Board which oversees medical professionals. According to the complaint, Lagunas came onto the board’s radar last year when she continued to perform a vaginal delivery for 12 hours despite becoming aware of “fetal distress” which required an immediate cesarean section. The baby ultimately died as a result of being strangled by the umbilical cord.
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The board required the El Paso doctor to undergo training and an assessment to test her knowledge. But then another baby under her care died in “almost identical circumstances” to the first child, the board said.
In the second case, Lagunas admitted the expectant mother, who was 40 weeks pregnant, for induction of labor at around 6 p.m. After seeing the patient the following morning, Lagunas did not check on her for another 35 hours, the board alleged. The patient’s medical charts showed there were “major issues” that Lagunas failed to address.
“Respondent did not properly monitor the patient and failed to recognize the deterioration in the fetus in the fetal heart monitor indicat[ing] the fetus was in extreme distress — which warranted immediate delivery.”
But Lagunas allegedly did not immediately deliver the baby.
“This delay resulted in the unnecessary death of the fetus,” the board wrote.
As a result, the board “temporarily” suspended Lagunas’ license and will consider reinstating her at a later, undetermined date.
Her continuing to practice medicine would “constitute a continuing threat to the public,” the board noted.
Lagunas earned her medical license in 1986. According to the biography on her website, she grew up in El Paso and served in U.S. Army in a “medical capacity” while she attended Texas A&M University.
“Dr. Lagunas continues her passion for serving women’s healthcare and delivering babies with a down to earth, however no nonsense, experience,” the bio said.
An outgoing message on the voicemail at her office said it will be “closed until further notice.” She did not immediately return a call from Law&Crime seeking comment.
The post Doctor is ‘threat to the public’ after 2 babies die during childbirth due to her inadequate care, board says first appeared on Law & Crime.
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Author: David Harris
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