<<Print>>

A PATIENT is suing one of America's top plastic surgeons after he woke up to find the doctor had cut off his nose. Vishal Thakkar treated himself to a cosmetic nose job after his divorce - but ended up having at least ten more operations after he claims he was left with problems each time. Following the last op he was stunned to discover the surgeon had sliced off his nose entirely while he was asleep. He has now launched legal action against Dr Angelo Cuzalina, a former president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the current president of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Mr Thakkar first went under Dr Cuzalina's scalpel in 2006, but had to go back for a minor fix after he suffered breathing problems. He claims during a later op the surgeon removed cartilage from behind his ear to put in his nose - even after he specifially refused permission. He told a TV station in Tulsa, Oklahoma: "I woke up with pain behind my ear and I said to the nurses: 'What part of 'Under no circumstances do not touch my ears', do you not understand?' " Mr Thakkar says Dr Cuzalina emailed him to apologise. He claims the surgeon later cut into his ribcage - again without permission - after running out of cartilage to take from his ears.