Charges: Seattle doctor sexted during surgery, had sex with patient

A Seattle physician who a report says “exchanged sexually explicit texts during surgeries when he was the responsible anesthesiologist” has had his license suspended.

Arthur K. Zilberstein “compromised patient safety due to his preoccupation with sexual matters while he was on hospital duty between at least April and August 2013,” according to a Medical Quality Assurance Commission statement.

He works for Physicians Anesthesia Services in Seattle, and patients who had a procedure at Swedish could have had him as an anesthesiologist.

Zilberstein also improperly accessed medical-record imaging for sexual gratification and had sexual encounters at his workplace, a commission report said.

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Zilberstein issued at least 29 unauthorized prescriptions for controlled substances and prescription drugs outside of his medical practice and didn’t conduct proper evaluations, diagnoses or treatment plans for these patients, according to charges by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

Charges say Zilberstein didn’t obtain patients' informed consent, provide anti-drug diversion safeguards for controlled substances or keep medical records; the charges also say he had sexual relations with one patient for whom he was prescribing drugs.

Investigators said Zilberstein made disparaging and racist remarks against a patient and misrepresented his work schedule to an investigator.

Until charges are resolved, Zilberstein can’t practice as a physician in Washington. He has 20 days to respond to the charges and to request a hearing, according to the Department of Health.

The Medical Quality Assurance Commission develops rules, policies and procedures to regulate physicians’ and physician assistants’ competency and quality.