Lawsuit: Plastic surgeon posted woman’s photos, labeling them ‘cocaine nose’

July 30--A woman says in a lawsuit that her Chicago plastic surgeon posted before and after photos of her facial reconstruction surgery on his website without her consent, labeling them "cocaine nose."

Sabrina Kropp claims Dr. Robert Walton took the photographs of her face in 2004, with the understanding that the images would be securely maintained in her medical record, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court.

But when the doctor opened a new practice, Plastic Surgery Chicago LLC in 2013, photos of her face were published on his practice's website, the lawsuit states.

Furthermore, the photographs were displayed and labeled as "cocaine nose," according to the lawsuit.

"Cocaine nose" is listed on Walton's website as one of the nasal reconstruction surgeries he performs. It's described as "perforations of the septum, infection, loss of supporting cartilage, scarring and eventual collapse of the nose" that can occur after chronic cocaine use.

Among other allegations, Kropp is suing Walton and Plastic Surgery Chicago LLC for breach of fiduciary duty of confidentiality and violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. The law requires an individual's written authorization before a use or disclosure of her protected health information is used for publication, marketing, teaching and/or commercial purposes, according to the lawsuit.

An attorney for Kropp could not be reached Tuesday night.

In addition to Walton and his plastic surgery practice, the University of Chicago Medical Center is named as a defendant. According to the lawsuit, Walton was employed there when Kropp was his patient. Plaintiffs also include the California company that designed and developed Walton's plastic surgery business website.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages. Because of the publication of photos, Kropp "suffered great harm." She also contends that Walton should have known that publishing the photos would cause her "to become distressed, shamed and embarrassed," according to the lawsuit.

Neither Walton nor a spokesperson for The University of Chicago Medical Center could be immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.

mmanchir@tribune.com

Twitter @TribuneMM

___

(c)2014 the Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services