Thomas John Zaydon MD FACS

Medical record review consultant in plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a branch of medicine that involves repairing or reconstructing the body’s appearance or normal function. Both cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries can only be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Thomas Zaydon of Plastic Surgery Institute of Miami.

After a significant amount of experience and with the appropriate qualifications, a plastic surgeon consultant like Dr. Zaydon are often requested to provide medical record reviews.  Medical record reviews can be requested by patients, attorneys, insurance companies, or any other healthcare organizations. 

On this page, we will explain what a medical record review is and the different types of review that we provide.

What is a medical record review? What is its purpose?

A medical record review refers to the accurate analysis of a patient’s medical records to provide useful information relevant to their case. This evaluation may be used both in the medical and legal fields and may be requested for different purposes:

• Medico-legal cases

Attorneys and litigators may request a thorough review of someone’s medical records when dealing with workers’ compensation cases, insurance claims, personal injury claims, medical malpractice claims, or fraud investigations. 

For example, a patient’s lawyer may request a medical record review to justify their need for a specific reconstructive surgery in a personal injury claim. It can also be used to determine their diagnosis, the cost of their future care, or confirm the major contributing cause of the patient’s injury or impairment.

So basically, a detailed review of a patient’s medical records can serve as crucial evidence in medico-legal claims. Furthermore, it aids lawyers in substantiating insurance claims and getting their client’s well-deserved injury compensation.

• Insurance claims

Insurance companies can also request for plastic surgery consultants, like Dr. Zaydon, to perform a medical record review. This can aid their insurance claims investigation and provide a fair case settlement in medical litigations.

• Healthcare assessment

Doctors should plan all cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries carefully and meticulously. So before undergoing a procedure, a plastic surgeon will review a patient’s complete medical history first to ensure the safety and success of the operation. 

A medical record review can aid in determining a patient’s past surgeries, chronic illnesses, and old and current medications. This can help your doctor determine whether a procedure is safe for you, thus preventing any complications from arising during the actual operation.

Moreover, a complete medical review can help doctors get a better understanding of the patient’s condition. As a result, a physician can now make sound decisions regarding a patient’s medical care or predict the outcome of a treatment option.

What type of documents are examined in a medical record review?

The term “medical record” refers to a patient’s documented health history. However, the types of documents examined will depend on the purpose of the review. For example, a medical record review for attorneys is different from one used in medical claims management. 

Generally, here are some of the most common documents a plastic surgeon consultant evaluates in a medical record review:

• Information about the patient’s medical history, physical reports, social history, and diagnosis.
• Old and current list of the patient’s medications
• Clinical reports and assessments performed by other medical specialists.
• Laboratory tests, X-rays, pathology slides, fetal strips, etc.
• Authorization and letters of consent.
• Facility records and standard operating procedures.

In some cases, internal communications from attending healthcare professionals may also be evaluated.

How does a plastic surgeon perform a medical record review?

Once all documents have been gathered, a plastic surgery consultant will review the evidence to make informed conclusions. They can seek out key information needed by their client, get answers to specific questions, or identify malpractices and deviations from standard care. It all depends on the client and the purpose of the medical record analysis.

Some of the medical record review services Dr. Thomas Zaydon provides include the following:

• Organizing and interpreting complex medical records, such as physician’s notes and medical abstracts,
• Actualizing a medical chronology to give an overview of the timeline of key medical events (e.g., date and time of a specific treatment’s administration or operation procedure).
• Creating medical case summaries to describe the standard of care, diagnosis, severity and nature of the injury, treatments administered, and other pertinent information.
• Analysis of medical issues, causation assessment, and identification of mitigating factors.
• Sorting and categorizing all medical documents. 

A medical record review consultant can write their report in a way that can be easily understood by laypeople or in a court of law. Still, it should be presented in a comprehensive, timely, and accurate manner to assist medical and legal cases properly.

Who can perform a medical record review?

An experienced plastic surgery consultant can perform a medical record review in medical and legal cases where plastic surgery is involved.

A plastic surgeon consultant, like Dr. Zaydon, has a high level of expertise in the field of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. With their extensive clinical knowledge and experience, they can assist general practitioners by providing specialized care and treatment to their patients.

They can also practice their consultancy on the legal side of the fence, acting as an expert witness, independent medical examiner, or medical advisor.

Dr. Thomas Zaydon – Medical Record Review for Plastic Surgery

If you’re a patient, lawyer, or insurance adjuster in need of a medical record review consultant, then you’re on the right page!

With over 20 years of experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas J. Zaydon has provided outstanding IMEs, EMAs, and expert testimonies in medico-legal claims. His expertise allows him to provide a thorough and accurate medical record reviews.

Besides medical record analysis, Dr. Zaydon also offers other medico-legal plastic surgery services such as:

• plastic surgery independent medical examination
• plastic surgery consultant
• plastic surgery peer reviews
• plastic surgery expert witness

Contact us now to schedule an appointment or learn more about our medical record review services.

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.