The Medical Board of California said it will investigate a plastic surgeon after he appeared in a video call for a traffic violation trial while a patient of his was being operated on.
A California plastic surgeon is now under investigation after a video surfaced of the licensed doctor in surgery while simultaneously appearing in a virtual trial for a traffic violation. Dr. Scott Green appeared in the videoconference before the Sacramento Superior Court dressed in blue scrubs and a surgical cap, and while a patient was being operated on.
"Hello, Mr. Green?" The courtroom clerk asked, awaiting the judge's appearance. "Are you available for trial? It kind of looks like you're in an operating room right now."
"Yes, I am in an operating room right now. Yes, I am available for trial. Go right ahead."
All traffic-related trials are live-streamed to the public as required by law, the Sacramento Bee reported. The clerk asked if Green was aware of the law. He said he understood.
Green was wearing surgical gloves that appeared to have blood on them and handed his phone to another colleague who kept the video frame steady on him. With the sound of medical equipment beeping, Green then proceeded to look down at what appears to be the operating table.
When Judge Gary Link appeared on screen, he was perplexed.
"So, unless I'm mistaken, I'm seeing a defendant that's in the middle of an operating room appearing to be actively engaged in providing services to a patient," Link said. "Is that correct, Mr. Green?"
"Yes, sir," Green responded.
After a pause, the judge said he did not "feel comfortable" proceeding with the trial and requested a new trial date when the doctor was not performing surgery.
"I have another surgeon right here who's doing the surgery with me, so I can stand here and allow them to do the surgery also," Green said.
"Not at all," he said. "I don't think so. I don't think that's appropriate."
Green responded, "I apologize your honor, to the court. Sometimes surgery doesn't always go as––"
"It happens. We want to keep people healthy, we want to keep people alive. That's important," Link said, cutting him off.
Theresa Moreno, 43, a long-time patient of Green, told Inside Edition that she still trusts the surgeon.
"He would never put his patients at harm," Moreno said. "I actually was kind of surprised. But nowadays with the media and live Zooms and Instagrams going live, it wasn't too much of a shocker for me. I mean, it's just the day and age, I feel."
She added, "I feel Dr. Green is a great doctor. I would still go back to him even with what's going on."
The Medical Board of California said it will investigate the matter, saying in a statement to the Bee that it "expects physicians to follow the standard of care when treating their patients." Green paid his fine and showed proof of correction through the court's virtual public counters and so the case is now closed, the court clerk's office told Inside Edition.
Green's office did not respond to the request for comment.
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