DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
DR. ZVI MARGALIOT
PRACTICE LOCATION: Mississauga
AREA OF PRACTICE: Plastic Surgery
HEARING INFORMATION: Plea of No Contest; Agreed
Statement of Facts; Contested Penalty
On September 19, 2016, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Margaliot committed acts of profes-
sional misconduct, in that he engaged in the sexual
abuse of a patient; and he engaged in conduct or an
act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine
that, having regard to all the circumstances, would
reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful,
dishonourable, or unprofessional, including by:
a) making remarks of a sexual nature not appropri-
ate to the care provided; and
b) engaging in a sexual relationship which in-
cluded sexual intercourse during the physician-
patient relationship.
Dr. Margaliot, who has held a certificate of regis-
tration authorizing independent practice in Ontario
since 2005, is certified by the Royal College of Physi-
cians and Surgeons of Canada as a specialist in plastic
surgery, and practises medicine as a hand surgeon.
Patient A was referred to Dr. Margaliot for recur-
ring wrist pain and was first treated by him in March
2009. At the time, Patient A was 22 years of age and
an undergraduate student.
Between March 2009 and June 2010, Dr. Mar-
galiot treated Patient A on 10 occasions, including
performing two surgeries on her right wrist.
In April 2010, while still engaged in a doctor-
patient relationship, Patient A sent Dr. Margaliot
a friend request via Facebook, which Dr. Margaliot
accepted.
In June 2010, at the last post-operative appoint-
ment following her second wrist surgery, Dr. Mar-
galiot stated in his clinical record that he would be
happy to see Patient A again if she had any concerns.
In August 2010, Patient A contacted Dr. Margaliot
through Facebook. Shortly thereafter, the two began
to correspond by email.
In October 2010, Patient A invited Dr. Margaliot
for coffee. Dr. Margaliot proposed a meeting place,
and the two met for coffee. The two continued to
exchange emails of a sexual nature.
On a date in December 2010, Patient A emailed
Dr. Margaliot as follows:
“Zvi, my wrist is killing me.. its bad enough I can
barely use a speculum because its so weak...
a) I s this anything physio might fix (friend’s sugges-
tion)
b) i s it still appropriate for you to be my physician
and
c) i s there anything else we can do for this because
it hurrrrts”
Dr. Margaliot replied:
“R or L wrist PT is usually not indicated until you
a) have a diagnosis and b) it is something amenable
to PT. I can look at it for you next week. Call Zohra
...”
Dr. Margaliot then asked "why, are you over-using
your wrist?" and she replied "you’d like that wouldn’t
you.”
Dr. Margaliot treated Patient A in his office prac-
tice on a date in January 2011. On a date later on
in January 2011, the two met for coffee. After this
meeting, the two began texting. Some of the texts
were of a sexual nature.
In February 2011, the two met for coffee and
kissed. They met two days later in his office, in the
evening, and engaged in kissing and touching of a
sexual nature. In early March 2011, following a sexu-
ally explicit Gchat communication, the two met in
the on-call room of the hospital and had intercourse.
Dr. Margaliot treated Patient A again on a date in
March 2011. He examined her for 50 minutes.
At that appointment, she signed a consent for a
third surgery, this time on her left wrist.
Subsequently, in close proximity to the appoint-
ment, while still engaged in a physician-patient rela-
tionship, the two had sexual intercourse, including in
his office.
Her surgery did not proceed. The two continued to
Full decisions are available online at www.cpso.on.ca.
Select Find a Doctor and enter the doctor’s name.
ISSUE 1, 2018 DIALOGUE
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