Doctor Carved Initials in Woman

NEW YORK (AP) _ A doctor delivered a baby by Caesarean section, then used his scalpel for the unkindest cut of all: He carved his initials into the mother’s abdomen.

Dr. Allan Zarkin _ later dubbed ``Dr. Zorro″ by hospital staff members _ ``felt very close to this woman, but something clicked on and off in his brain,″ his lawyer, Kenneth Platzer, said Friday.

Liana Gedz is now suing the 61-year-old obstetrician for $5 million, saying the 3-by-1 1/2-inch ``A″ and ``Z″ ``makes me feel like a branded animal.″

According to the Daily News, witnesses in the operating room said that after delivering Gedz’s daughter on Sept. 7, Zarkin announced: ``I did such a beautiful job, I’ll initial it.″

Zarkin’s lawyer said the doctor suffers from a ``frontal lobe disorder″ called Pick’s disease _ a progressive form of Alzheimer’s-like dementia characterized by personality changes and inappropriate behavior.

Platzer said his client is being treated by a psychiatrist and a neurologist.

Gedz, a 31-year-old dentist, said the initials ``were carved in such a manner as to be permanent,″ according to her lawsuit.

``I felt like I was raped,″ she told the Daily News. And now, with the scar that has turned into a welt, ``I’m so embarrassed to get undressed in front of my husband because I have another man’s initials on my stomach.″

The couple are also suing Beth Israel Medical Center, where the child was delivered. The hospital suspended Zarkin’s right to practice immediately after the incident and reported him to health authorities.