Embroiled in Scandal Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon Dr. William Leighton Has Died
December 15, 2015
#Breaking
The late Dr. William Leighton is known for his medical malpractice victim, Amy Ashcroft, who made national news when she disrobed to show her surgical disfigurement reportedly by Leighton in front of the Arizona Medical Board earlier this year.
Scottsdale plastic surgeon Dr. William Leighton embroiled in medical malpractice claims brought before the Arizona Medical Board, died yesterday reportedly from complications from a pancreatic cancer Whipple procedure. This site previously wrote about the dangers of both Dr. William Leighton and how the Arizona Medical Board protects surgeons at the patient’s expense. The AZ Medical Board manipulates the minutes of the board meetings making patients falsely think their doctors have not received warning letters or sanctions when they type in a traditional search; but in fact, the minutes of the meetings are saved in PDF (picture) form, meaning a Google or Bing search would not flag the SEO necessary for patients to know all the facts regarding their surgeons. Patients actually have to figure out how to tediously and needlessly comb through line after line, month after month, year and year of the board minutes to accurate find the facts regarding doctors brought before the board.
@EMNFergusonMD This is everything that wrong with the AZ Medical Board @GeneralBrnovich https://t.co/7jTn3adA20 pic.twitter.com/RiV9qLOast
— Melayna Lokosky (@MelaynaLokosky) December 16, 2015
Physician sanctions and warning letters, which can’t be found by typing in a surgeon’s name into traditional search engines or even the AZ Medical Board’s own search bar is, in part, why Dr. William Leighton was able to create a trail of disfigured patients essentially with the AZ Medical Board’s blessings. If patients of Dr. William Leighton’s, like Debi Koolick or Amy Ashcroft, as previously reported extensively by Wendy Halloran KPNX-TV Phoenix, could have easily found this information via traditional search engines, it could have prevented their injuries and many more.
Dr. William Leighton’s legacy is nothing more than the reported 29 listed victims he created. Amy Ashcroft, escorted after exposing her disfigured breasts for surgery from Leighton.
Arizona taxpayers please join me in asking Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate the Arizona Medical Board and to get justice for all the victims Dr. William Leighton left behind.
Should surgeons have to disclose illnesses like cancer & heart surgery to their patients? #healthcare #medicine
— Melayna Lokosky (@MelaynaLokosky) December 19, 2015
Derek Stocker
Absolutely. Just because a butcher has died does not mean health authorities should stop investigating if he was selling dodgy meat. Along the line, a farmer, a feed supplier, a slaughterhouse to the wholesale meat supplier, the butcher/surgeon with ancillary support pushes to a retailer the consumer being the end user. Parallels with medical consultants??
Protection of the consumer requires constant and consistent monitoring, that is in every industry supplying goods, medical devices, in law are goods. Victims not allowed to sue for medical malpractice only under consumer protection…crazy? Yes! Immoral certainly, unethical? You judge!
Recent post on Total Hip Replacement News from Brit. Medical Journal acknowledging toxic effects of Cobalt/Chromium implants not least carcinogenic with metal lodging in organs to stay there until death! There are lots of other illnesses, many unrecognised by the medical professionals.
What brought things home to me today was a financial agreement from my legal rep. Should I die prior to receiving a settlement (I was supplied with defective, recalled medical devices, left and right) then all costs will be recovered from my estate. Should my family wish to continue the fight they MAY, just may be given an opportunity to sign another agreement.
One of my problems from toxicity is loss of cognetive skills. I have just completely lost track of what I was trying to express so will end here before I spoil the reply and make it more garbled and senseless that it already is. Readers can gather I am unhappy along with thousands of other victims.
ALUTA CONTINUA
Melayna Lokosky
“Should my family wish to continue the fight they MAY, just may be given an opportunity to sign another agreement.” Thanks Derek for sharing this agreement you have as it may help others in similar situations. I suspect, in this case, many of Dr. Leighton’s victims will continue their fight even in his death. His death does not change the facts of these cases and perhaps even makes a stronger case against the AZ Medical Board who should have possibly revoked his license to practice years ago. Hope you are recovering well from your recent procedures and I’ll look into the Brit. Medical Journal you mentioned regarding the toxic effects of Cobalt/Chromium implants. Heal well! Melayna
Harriet
Dr Leighton butchered me and left me in pain..I was told by other plastic surgeons that he did not do what he was to do and what he did was left me deformed..He did 2 surgeries and kept making it right..One botched job in his office that Jody questioned.
Left me also an earlobe not attached.
The medical board dismissed my case even after I let them heara message form Leighton’s office dismissed as a patient without ant notice..It is when I woke up with blood all over my pillow from my ear…MIcA dismissed my case with Leighton making that descion..
Melayna Lokosky
I’m sorry for all that you’ve gone through. Without doubt, the Attorney General must investigate the AZ Medical Board and both possible civil and criminal charges against those who pathologically allowed this to happen.
Donna C.
Dr William Leighton did an excellent job for my son including multiple surgeries pro bono. I’m sorry that some of his patients had bad results but surgery is always a risk and I’m sure there are thousands of patients that were very happy with Dr. Leighton. I wish more of them had the nerve to speak up. I hope he has found peace.
Melayna Lokosky
While I appreciate and am thankful your son’s surgeries were successful it doesn’t dismiss or excuse the harm he’s done to many, without shame, remorse, guilt or accountability. As someone who worked in the Arizona plastic surgery market as a device rep for years seldom is the original surgeon made aware their work was unsuccessful because patients won’t go back to the original surgeon they opt for a different surgeon for revision work. So, he may have operated on thousands of patients but that’s not the same of thousands of happy patients. Again, I’m happy that things turned out well for your son. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment-Melayna
Stephanie
I too have been a patient of Dr. Leighton, he was exceptional. I also referred friends and family to him. They too were extremely happy. Any kind of surgery is a risk. I also believe some people look for some kind of perfection that quite honestly would never happen with any surgeon. I feel for those people that feel that their procedure was not acceptable, but you are living and breathing. Where is the compassion and respect for others especially this time of year. REST IN PEACE DR LEIGHTON, you will be missed.
Stephanie
Every surgery is a risk. Some people look for perfection that they will never get. I was a patient of Dr. Leighton and he was exceptional. I also referred friends and family and they too were extremely happy with his work. To my knowledge Dr. Leighton performed hundreds of pro bono surgeries and touched many lives. To those people leaving negative posts, you are living and breathing. Where is your compassion and respect? Rest in peace Dr. Leighton, you will be missed.
Melayna Lokosky
Glad you had a good outcome but it does not give you the right to dismiss those that did not. 29 people in a short span of time is an inordinately high number ‘seeking perfection,’ which is what abusive people say when they’re blaming the victim like you are. If the AZ Medical Board wasn’t going to stop him from performing, nature did. For many he won’t be missed, they’re just glad he was finally stopped.
John C
I too can’t say enough about this man and Doctor. Not only did he do a wonderful job on my rhinoplasty but, when there was some question whether or not my insurance would cover the procedure, he told me ” don’t worry, if they deny it, I’ll do it pro bono.” That is a special man!
Any doctor who’s performed thousands of procedures will have some that don’t go as planned. If you take that in to consideration, his percentage of those results was extremely low-the numbers don’t lie! As unfortunate this is, there is always risk involved in surgery and that’s why it’s acknowledged up front. Now, for those that feel the need to try and destroy this mans entire career and attack his character, you need to do some serious introspection AND seek long-term professional counseling because you have some more pressing issues that need attention. This was a good man and a good surgeon.
Melayna Lokosky
I’m truly glad patients did have good outcomes. As a point of clarification “pro bono,” is offered at the time of consultation and not dependent upon insurance outcomes. Please do let the readers know, did insurance cover your procedure? You used the term rhinoplasty, but I’d suspect the word septoplasty was on your medical charts and turned into insurance.
And to those singing his praises, there needs to be proper context with the now known variable that he was diagnosed with cancer, was your procedure pre or post his having cancer? (How long ago was he diagnosed, what treatments did he have, did he disclose to patients he was being treated or was treated for cancer?) All those variables potentially could have changed patient outcomes. So, it’s relevant for those coming here to sing his praises to state with fact how long ago you had your procedure, was it prior to his diagnosis with cancer (he stopped practicing for a number of years if memory serves), and, did he disclose if he had cancer?
When people are not provided with all the facts to make the best decisions then that person is manipulating the facts and making decisions based on their needs and perhaps not the needs of the patients.
This site writes about corporate abuse and what the abuse outcomes are for either the employees, patients, consumers, or taxpayers as a means to rectify the abuse and prevent it from happening again. And, almost every plastic surgeon I worked with in 13+ years in the industry, was incorporated. This man destroyed his own reputation, exposing the facts others would rather remain hidden, is not attention-seeking, it is fact finding. The only people who are afraid of facts are those with something to hide.
Laureen
Thanks for being on our side. Living with awful disfigurements and pain since 2012, it is physically and mentally exhausting. So Glad no one else has to expierence this. Sad for all of us who has to live with this internal and external pain.
Laureen
Smurfette
I don’t disagree that at one point in time Dr. Leighton was a good surgeon, maybe even a great one. My personal experience with him was one of disbelief that he was confused, and after operating on me just weeks after a heart bypass surgery made even more mistakes. He told me he would help me and I would look better. Instead he left me disfigured and with constant pain. I did not expect perfection and certainly did not expect to be disfigured. I will gladly meet with any of Leighton’s supporters and offer my records and photos and you can judge for yourselves. He was not fit to be performing surgeries when mine were done. I’m just glad he can no longer harm any others.
Melayna Lokosky
I agree he may have been or was a good or great surgeon at one time, but when a surgeon possibly puts their needs above their patients then, as you’ve experienced, outcomes change or differ from previous outcomes. It’s very difficult for anyone to admit to aging and not being able to do what we once did, but surgeons above all else, owe it to their patients to know when to retire; and, when ego won’t allow for that, then the state medical boards are in place to intervene and ensure patient safety. The system failed.
Working in the industry and speaking with many surgeons over the years about this very topic, I made the personal decision, and have encouraged family, long ago never to go to a surgeon over the age of 60 (there are always exceptions, but it’s a good benchmark). While all surgeons won’t agree, many will note that reaction times, dexterity, and overall ability are compromised during the natural aging process and that’s not withstanding what additional factors like heart bypass and cancer could do to alter a surgeon’s abilities. As patients, we must be educated, but we also must be provided all the necessary facts to make the best decisions.
John c
Let’s put things in to perspective-the numbers don’t lie. Although it’s very unfortunate for those who are unhappy with their surgeries, His record of great outcomes is extremely high relative to those who were unhappy-that’s a fact! Based on that, the unhappy people are in a very small minority. To use antidotal information to smear anyone is just wrong!
Melayna Lokosky
You might want to look up what anecdotal means because the number of people who’ve filed complaints is factual. Facts really screw up your narrative, don’t they? Noticed you skipped over questions regarding your own surgery, billing of the procedure, and if he actually did the surgery ‘pro bono.’ All a manipulation of the facts. Remember, he created his own legacy, not me, who wrote about it, and certainly not his victims who exposed the negative truth. Quit blaming the victims just because you had a different outcome.
Greg Parker
To everyone who has attacked Dr. Leighton. Remember one day you will DIE. Either way he is a person. He was a father, husband, philanthror and very giving man.
No matter what you say or do it doesn’t matter any more. What will people say at your funeral? I hope that they call you a bitch, cunt or a whore. Is that what you want or do you think that all of you should take the high road and feel bad for his wife and kids. Don’t you think that is what you want people to say after you are gone?
Please step back and take a good long look in your mirror. He battled cancer. It’s not contagious it just happens. I hope that you never have to go through what Bill had to endure.
Remember you are still alive to share with your kids and family. He will never get to see many things since he passed so early.
Walk a mile in his shoes before you judge another.
I am Greg Parker and I AM PRO TO OF BEEN NOT ONLY A PATIENT BUT A GOOD FRIEND OF BILL LEIGHTON. RIP my good friend you will be missed.
Melayna Lokosky
He was a father, husband and a surgeon who harmed people. His death DOES NOT ERASE HIS ACTIONS. There’s a name for people who have a problem with what I write about, they’re called criminals. So at my funeral, people who were held accountable will say (as they will in life) unkind things but I’ll, like now, consider the source and take it as a compliment.
Kevin Fitzgerald
Your choice of certain words is what I’d expect from a friend of Little Bill. It was my experience he was a liar, a cheat and a con. I have the disfigured nose to prove it.
Bill Leighton
I’m going to assume that you ladies are single. If you are there is a reason. If you are lucky enough to be married I hope that you are not for much longer.
What are you trying to achieve? You didn’t like the answer from the board so now bash a man who has died?
What do you think you can do to a dead man? I can assure you that he doesn’t give one F*** about you.
Admit it. You all tried and lost. Move on. He is gone forever period.
Why don’t you go back and read the former that you signed about not all surgeries go as planned. Why aren’t you attacking the original doctor who really messed you up?
I love all women but the crazy women on here need to seek a mental illness clinic.
You cannot get anything from someone who is dead.
If you keep attacking his family you will be sorry. Obviously you are not good people. Move on.
Melayna Lokosky
If you think that appropriating a dead man’s identity is anything but abusive to his memory and his family, it is you that is crazy. I’ve publically provided your IP address and other information authorities or his family may use to locate you and press criminal charges. You’ve come to the wrong site if you think you’re abuse behavior will be tolerated.
Visitor Analysis & System Spec
Referring URL:
(No referring link)
B.Leighton69@Hotmail.com
Host Name: mobile-166-170-005-066.mycingular.net Browser: Chrome for Androi
IP Address: 166.170.5.66 — [Label IP Address] Operating System: Android
Location: California, United States Resolution: 360×640
Returning Visits: 2 Javascript: Enabled
Visit Length: 10 mins 36 secs ISP: At&t Wireless
Smurfette
Some of the victims had Dr. Leighton as their one and only surgeon, he alone disfigured them. Most of his victims are married but their relationships have been adversely affected by the emotional and physical pain they they and their families have had to endure. Shame on you. We don’t want to attack him or his family we just want someone to take responsibility for the mistakes he was allowed to make when he obviously was not fit to be performing surgeries.
Josephine
Great answer smurfette! I have been holding back from replying on here for days because some of the nasty people on here with filthy mouths always blow about things they don’t have all the information about….but now there is another very nasty uninformed reply -so- SHAME on any of you that are assuming his victims are crazy or just unhappy people! His victims have already been victimized! My case never got reviewed! It has been with the board for over a year. He was my first surgeon for a medically necessary issue and unfortunately I allowed him to try to fix it! I wasn’t looking for perfection I just wanted what he told me he could do,was going to do and what I signed for. None of that happened. Many of his victims did have cancer. People on here are asking where is our respect for him and his family? Where was and is ours? Its a shame that HIS mental illness hasn’t been mentioned… police reports are available to the public that show that he had to be transported by the PV police to a mental facility twice !!! per the request of his family!!! They know what the truth was with him- I do feel for all of them and am sorry for their pain but it doesn’t change the bad things he did and was allowed to do. If I had had the information I know about now he would not have been my surgeon. The public is supposed to be protected but that is not happening. He is gone but things need to change and we have every right to feel the way we all do and to try to make sure other people don’t go through what we have. There are 29 complaints- those numbers don’t lie either.
I really appreciate Melaynas words! She is a wise and informed woman!
Melayna Lokosky
Thanks for commenting Josephine and for your kind words. As a point of clarification, there were, to my knowledge 20 complaints filed with the AZ Medical Board with an additional nine on a victims list. It sounds like you’re describing a 5150 hold from the PV police, which I’ve not been able to confirm at this time, but will look into. Thank you for adding more to the story.
Rana
I was a patient of Dr. Leighton for over 20 years for numerous reconstructive operations from severe burn scars. I fully understand being upset over issues many of these women experienced matter having their operations but it doesn’t give anyone right to speak that way about someone who has passed. He was still a human being and a friend to many. He may have made mistakes but I’d assume all of you have as well, does that take away from your pain? No! But is it fair to make more pain for his loved ones because you’re filled with hate and vengeance. Things happen for a reason. I was severely burned by scalding hot grease as a baby and I don’t blame anyone. It happened and it can NOT be changed or undone, so the best bet is for all parties involved would.be to learn to live and deal with it. I have had deformities for almost my entire life and I’ve learned that dwelling on these things never help you they hinder your life and growth as a person. Dr. Leighton did many good things and helped thousands of people and I’m sorry for those who were left dissatisfied and hurt but you are only hurting yourself but holding on to a grudge that will probably be rectified. He is gone, let him rest and move on and Mayne one day you will find it in your heart to forgive and move on to a better being.
Melayna Lokosky
The purpose of this site is, which started in January 2014 (long before his death), is to help victims of abuse, recognize, expose and create positive change to prevent future harm by forcing accountability from those who act unethically or illegally where accountability is not escaped or excused, even in death. Exposing the negative truth is seldom the popular opinion because abusive people will go to great lengths to keep the truth hidden, just as you are doing now. Perhaps recalling the old adage “You’re only as good as your last performance,” will help you and others see that his compromised health likely compromised his surgical performance and outcomes, in that 20 patient victims (an inordinately high number in a relatively short amount of time) have stated before the AZ Medical Board just that. Holding someone accountable is the opposite of blame and the only way victims can become empowered survivors is to seek justice for their abuse. By your assertion, you’d prefer the victims disappear without justice allowing Dr. Leighton, even in death to revictimize the victims he created. I was not harmed by Dr. Leighton, I have no grudge, and my heart is just fine, so please save your self-serving condescension and consider why it is you feel it’s acceptable to revictimize victims.
Josephine
Thank you !!! As I said before – I am really sorry for the people these comments hurt- family and friends … but he touched many people in many different ways and we all need to deal with his passing in our own way! HE set this in motion! I am not an angry, vindictive or unhappy person-BUT, we have to deal with the hand we have been dealt! He was my hand- and that outcome wasn’t fun, happy or warm and fuzzy! I am not happy that his life was cut short but it was! I didn’t have anything to do with that!!!! I just experienced him in a very different way than some of you….PLEASE RESPECT that!!!!! MY concern now is that everyone has the information thy need to make informed decisions for their future health!
Joan
Oh, no disrespect meant at all!! Like I said in my earlier post I am saddened by what I saw on the evening news. It’s hard for me to believe Dr. Leighton is gone! At one time he was an amazing surgeon and I will always remember him for that!
Rana
I agree with you 100%
Joan
Hello, I am an OR nurse who worked with Dr. Leighton from 1987- 2000 while working downtown Phoenix. First of all I want to say how sad I am to hear of his passing while watching the local news tonight. Back in the day I loved working with Dr. Leighton! He was awesome, the staff loved working with him, and his patients loved him as well! I’m not sure what went down over the past few years, but what I do remember was an amazing surgeon who took wonderful care of his patients. He really did amazing work and I will always remember him as a fun loving, amazing, talented plastic surgeon. RIP Dr. Leighton!
Smurfette
Exactly, you worked with him in the far past,the latest 15 years ago. The havoc he created in my life and the other victims was recent. He was allowed to harm others because he was unfit physically and mentally, partly because he didn’t inform the Medical Board of his medical issues and partly for the Board allowing him to continue practicing and even renewing his license when there were 19 pending complaints against him. I don’t care about the past I care about now. I am alive and I am in pain, emotionally and physically. Financially, I have been devastated and I can’t afford to repair the massacre Leighton left of my right breast. My surgery was over 2 years ago. When will my suffering end?
Rana
Its sad that people on here feel that they are being read victimized by people leaving comments about good experiences from Dr Leighton even though nothing was said about there situations in an ill way. As long as you allow yourself to be a victim you will always be a victim for many years I considered myself a burn victim, now I realize I’m a burn survivor! If you allow yourself to be a victim things will never change and you will never heal, as I said before I am sorry for any one’s paying that may have been caused due to an operation with Dr Leighton but I still agree that that is no grounds for you to bash someone who has passed away. You may think that he is the lowest of the low but consider if someone thought your father or your brother was the lowest of the low would you appreciate them consistently commenting on a webpage repetitively about how bad this person was because they are still hurt and they are still suffering. You begin to heal when you allow yourself to heal, you’re holding onto a grudge with a man that is no longer alive where you may never get any closure from him this is where the healing begins inside of your self
Melayna Lokosky
These women do not want to remain victims and are actively trying to create change to a system so this doesn’t happen to other people (with other doctors) while holding the person and the system who allowed this to happen accountable. They are victims who are trying to become empowered survivors and that only happens when the guilty are held accountable.
Anonymous
I had a consultation with this Doctor about another doctors work that I felt was unsatisfactory. During the consultation he got upset for some reason and he was yelling at me and then threw something across the room and stormed out. This happened in 2003. My impression of him was that he was crazy!
Gina
I am shocked to find this information. I also lost a nipple with a breast reduction from 2005. He promised to fix it and then retired after his dad died. I ended up getting his insurance to cover it and got reconstruction from Dr. Gawley who was amazing. Still, you can tell its not real because as others have said the tattoo ink wont take well over the scar tissue. I also have a hole if you will from the lost tissue under it. I wasn’t aware that he ever came back to work after that. And I certainly wasn’t aware that I wasn’t the only one this happened to! That is scary! Sorry for all the others who went through this. If 20 have spoken up imagine how many more there are like me who just assumed it was a risk I took and were unaware that this had happened to so many others. I am just in shock.
rhonda wick
Well I have a botched nose because of Dr Leighton. I went in for a tip reconstruction and came out with closed nostrils like a cloths pin on my nose, couldn’t breath.my tip went straight into the air. WTH?? had to go back for another one and was taken into a burn patient room and was told I didnt have it so bad . I Looked at this Little boy. and I was Horrified and went back to my room feeling quilty. The next surgery he cut my nose under neath and it caved in. 3rd one my nostril colapsed on the right side. , this went on 2 more times. I finally went to a dr in newport to help my and he said it was unrepairable , the damage had been done. Each time Dr Leighton said he could fix it. Have to wait 2 years in between surgeries so it can settle and now its about the money, Will take at least 40 k with another dr to get it somewhat corrected. He played God and was a egotist.
Sadder But Wiser
I had a Breast Reduction performed by Dr. Leighton in April of 2006. At the time, he seemed very caring and I felt. confident in his abilities.However, it was a very different story afterwards. I was in a good deal of pain afterwards, which I expected, but concerned because I lived almost 2 hours away. The pain continued to increase and several stitches opened up. I went back, he debriefed the area and assured me I was fine. However, he was becoming very curt with me each time I had to return several more times and questioned why thick yellow pus kept draining.he told me to use longs tips to clean it out, all the while telling me I was “healing”. Eventually, the pain, blood and discharge became so bad, I called late in the evening, and was told to get back to the hospital. When the nurses removed the bandages, I had a severely infected and blackened right breast. Turns out,I had an ecoli infection in my right breast! I not only lost the nipple, I looked like I had a Mastectomy. He told me he would try to fix it in a couple of months, because he also removed so much on the left, that no bra would fit. I was left badly misshapen and it was shortly afterward that heft for medical reasons.I was left very distraught and in pain, and was angry to hear that he was bored. I did not sue, but should have after learning about the others he harmed.