Shespeaks Logo
Login    Join SheSpeaks
 
Home  |  FAQs  |  Contact  |  Working with SheSpeaks
 
BLOG CATEGORIES
All Things that Inspire Women Who Inspire Causes We Care About Health/Wellness Books We Love What's Going on At SheSpeaks?
Octomom Doc Expelled
Posted October 19, 2009

The "Octomom" doctor, Michael Kamrava, is finally feeling some repercussions for his actions when he transferred six embryos in Nadya Suleman last year.  A medical committee recently made the decision to expel Kamrava from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).  The transfer of six embryos into a woman of Suleman's age exceeds the guidelines put out from the ASRM and is the reason given for Kamrava's expulsion.

A recent article from USA Today reports that Suleman, who had six children before she became pregnant with the latest eight, has stated publicly that Kamrava transferred six embryos to her uterus for all of her previous pregnancies.  This means that Kamrava failed to follow the guidelines each time he performed this procedure on Suleman. 

The guidelines state that fertility doctors should only transfer one or two embryos into women who are under the age of 35.  After looking into Kamrava's past record it has been reported that he was transferring more than four embryos to all women he treated under the age of 35 on average. 

Though expulsion from the ASRM is nothing a fertility specialist would wish for, it does not mean that Kamrava has to stop practicing medicine.  Medical boards are the only types of groups authorized to revoke a doctor's license and so far this has not happened to Kamrava.  The downside for Kamrava is that some insurance plans will not cover treatment cost for patients of doctors who are not in the ASRM.

What do you think of the decision the ASRM made to expel the "Octomom" doctor?

Do you think this was an appropriate disciplinary action to take against this doctor?

28 Comments
momagarry says: October 19, 2009 05:49 PM
Oh wow! I guess he will think twice next time.
lsabrinap says: October 19, 2009 08:22 PM
yes definatley not to mention she should not have been worked on due to her clear instability and use of the babies to fulfill herself. I think like plastic surgery the doctor is supposed to evaluate the patient and see if they are doing it for good reasons and are able to handle it. With 6 kids already at home and no job i think she was an obvious risk. Bad doctor!
likeinabook says: October 20, 2009 09:19 AM
Good. I hope he loses a lot of business.
junconventional says: October 20, 2009 01:46 PM
Well, not discounting the bad judgement on the doctor's part. You used the term "guidelines" and not that it was a hard fast rule, I don't know how the could expel him. With the amount of multiple births in this country, it's clear that he is not the only fertility doctor that has implanted more than 2 eggs.
rose-mag says: October 20, 2009 02:02 PM
It's a good lesson to the doctor and likely the others would learn something from this too. It's more a question of ethics than any guideline or rule. A woman with 6 kids at home, no job, depended on social welfare and her mother, it's obviously that the doctor should not do that.
msfriendly says: October 20, 2009 02:39 PM
I think that this was a good decision. All doctors should use this as a case in point and they should use ethical practices.
janicesky says: October 21, 2009 01:54 PM
In my opinion, the doctor should not have transferred any embryos into her at all! She was not working and she already had six children at home, and depending on her mother and public assistance to support her family...
picturemommy says: October 23, 2009 06:46 PM
well it's about time that the medical community stoo9d up to their "own" and did something about such shameless disregard for life! I have NO problem with fertility and the like, but if the guidlines state what should be done, then he should have "played by the rules". Pity though that this quack can still practice medicine.
bbred57 says: October 24, 2009 09:48 PM
I think this is a start and I think now the medical board should go after his license and stop him from practicing medicine. Evidently he isn't taking the health and wealthfare of his patients medical and mental conditions into consideration when he implants all of these embryo's. And not only the women but what about the children that are being born into these situations. He should be liable for what he is doing to these children.
October says: October 25, 2009 01:43 PM
Sounds to me like he is not taking his responsibility as a doctor seriously.
cybrown551 says: October 25, 2009 06:07 PM
Yes, I think that they should have taken his license if he did not want to follow the rule. We put out trust in doctors to make the professional decision and they sign an oath to abide to make professional and health decisions for us.
freshnutmeg says: October 26, 2009 07:30 AM
I'm so glad you used the word 'transferred' and not 'implanted'.
J123456o says: October 26, 2009 01:27 PM
He went way over the line! I don't think he should be able to practice anymore. As for the CRAZY yes I said crazy Nadya Suleman she?s way off her rocker and I can't believe a doctor would help her have so many kids. I hope he looses a lot of patents due to very bad judgment and for his disregard to rules just to make more money.
JMaynard85 says: October 28, 2009 01:15 PM
Im glad that they made this decision. He went way overboard in the beginning. It is not necessary to implant so many eggs in one woman who has already had several successful pregnancies. I wish he didnt do it at all, those poor children will really have a tough life ahead.
lisaberger says: October 29, 2009 06:38 PM
Thank goodness! Doctors should do more than just what their patients WANT, they should also consider what they NEED!
saralen says: October 29, 2009 08:57 PM
Glad someone let him know that what he was doing was not right. I cant believe a doctor with so much experience would let a woman with no job and depending on goverment help to have more children!
busaboo says: October 30, 2009 05:38 PM
I think Dr. Kamrava got off pretty easy. He has shown everyone that he doesn't practise good ethics. I think he should get his medical license revoked and he should have to pay a fine to the ASRM. He took advantage of his status and he misused it. Now he should be accountable for his actions.
la_cuata184 says: November 01, 2009 12:23 AM
This doctor needs to be held accountable for his action. Thumbs up to the ASRM!
dnabrewer3 says: November 01, 2009 08:25 AM
It is about time! He needs to know his actions were not right!
Alyssarae92293 says: November 01, 2009 03:23 PM
Who does he think he is!
sharman421 says: November 01, 2009 06:58 PM
Wait a minute, you mean he was only expelled from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine?!!! That means the guy can still practice medicine (if that's what you want to call it). Scary!
farmerbrown2002 says: November 02, 2009 09:26 AM
Both should have been more responsible.The doc for so many.Her for not working and wanting more kids.
MyEmptyCanvas says: November 02, 2009 03:08 PM
** hits head on pc monitor ** .... this is just to much... this story... this woman... that doctor... all those precious babies... ugg to much... I just often wonder what some people are thinking... seriously :-S
simplicity738 says: November 05, 2009 02:13 AM
Was he trying to commit career suicide? He at least succeeded in that. What an idiot! What's worse is the assistance she receives comes from our paychecks...thank you Nadia Suleman for your extreme stupidity as well as your doctors. We really appreciate it. Not!
marylynnf says: November 05, 2009 08:38 PM
How sad when so many deserving people can't have children and want them and can support them with out governmental health. There should be fines or something that are levied. Unless there is a loss by the doctor for the poor judgment it won't stop him or others in the future.
AimeeAken says: November 12, 2009 01:55 PM
Most doctor's just want money .. not too many out there that care about what is best anymore. He should very well be expelled if he does not follow the rules. Doctor's should be disciplined for their actions. They need to follow rules just like everyone else. They are not above anyone.
Hatshepsut says: December 10, 2009 09:38 PM
What's worse, is that this poor example of Darwinism, is somewhat a celeb. and featured in rag magazines and to get a REALITY SHOW!!!!!
Hatshepsut says: December 10, 2009 11:11 PM
(oops! hit enter) By her being in mags. and getting a reality show, means that there are people who are and will watch her reality show. Wonder how many of those people were disdained to discover her situation and think the entire situation is wrong, but are the ones that read about her and will watch her. Why do the press glorify something so incorrect in so many ways. She sucked MILLIONS of dollars away from taxpayers because a litter of SIX wasn't enough. She went into the situation knowing full well that without insurance, there was only one way to have the delivery done- free.. She just sickens me .
To comment, please 
 or