Dr. Kamrava, perhaps made famous when Octomom  Nadya Suleman gave birth to octuplets in 2009, is on his way to being made infamous by placing seven embryos in a 48-year-old woman causing her to become pregnant with quadruplets, putting mom and babies lives at risk.

On his website, www.wcivf.com, Dr. Kamrava sounds like a miracle worker:

“ Michael M. Kamrava, M.D., director of West Coast IVF Clinic, Inc., is an internationally recognized leader in the field of in vitro fertilization (IVF). His work, alongside close associates and peers worldwide, has resulted in breakthrough technology that has revolutionized IVF, reducing risks to both the mother and child, and also reducing the costs of IVF.”
The Medical Board of California said in a 20-page accusation filed on June 30, "He placed [the woman] at great risk ... which was confirmed by a quadruplet pregnancy that ended with catastrophic result.”

Six months ago the board accused Kamrava of a "pattern of gross negligence" in the case of Suleman.

Suffering many complications during the pregnancy, the woman delivered the babies by cesarean section six weeks early.  One baby died during the pregnancy and another baby sustained “profound developmental delays.”

Having been a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois, a student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, completing his residency at Cleveland’s Mt. Sinai Hospital and a fellow at Harard Medical’s Beth Israel Hospital, Kamrava’s ego may have finally gotten the best of him causing him to venture outside of the medically recommended number of implanted embryos.  
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) released guidelines in 2006 saying that women under 35 should always be given no more than two embryos during a single implantation procedure.  The guidelines also say that women ages 35 to 37 should receive no more than two to three embryos, women ages 38 to 40 should receive no more than four and that women over age 40 should receive five or fewer embryos during an implantation procedure.

Suleman was implanted with at least six embryos at the age of 33, and the 48 year old woman was implanted with seven embryos.  Both implantations were well outside of the recommended ASRM guidelines.

Kamrava was expelled from the ASRM for a "pattern of behavior" detrimental to the industry in 2009.

The accusation by Barbara Johnston, Executive Director, Medical Board of California was filed December 22, 2009 withThe Medical Board of California Department of Consumer Affairs.
Johnston cites five Causes for Discipline which are outlined as follows:

First Cause for Discipline: Gross Negligence

24.  “Respondent (Kamrava) demonstrated gross negligence in transferring excessive blastocyst embryos to NS (Suleman) on December 3, 2002, July 18, 2004, October 27, 2005, January 20, 2006, March 21, 2007, January 26, 2008 and July 19, 2008.
25. “The number of blastocyst embryos (Kamrava) transferred to NS on July 19, 2008 should not be transferred into any woman, regardless of age.  The number of embryos transferred was not only in violation of the standard of care, but is beyond the reasonable judgement of any treating physician.”

Second Cause for Discipline: Repeatedly Initiating a Fresh Cycle of Oocyte Retrieval when Frozen Embryos were Available.

31. “By initiating NS to a fresh IVF cycle from October 2002 to January 2008, Kamrava placed the patient at an increased medical risk with each successive fresh IVF stimulation cycle.”
32. “Moreover, there is a stockpile of NS’s cyopreserved embryos which serve no clinical purpose”

Third Cause for Discipline: Failure to Refer the Patient for a Mental Health Evaluation

    35. (Abbreviated) Kamrava never referred or recommended NS to consult with a mental health professional. NS had multiple children, all conceived from IVF, and repeatedly returned to Kamrava for consultation on more IVF cycles without any period of delay.
    38. (Abbreviated) Kamrava’s acts and/or omissions constitute gross negligence.

Fourth Cause for Discipline: Repeated Negligent Acts

Fifth Cause for Discipline: Inadequate Records

Closing the document, Johnston requests that a hearing be held on the accusations alleged and that a decision be issued by the Medical Board of California based on their findings which include revocation or suspending Kamrava’s Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate, and further action deemed necessary.

The hearing is scheduled for October, 2010.

Laura Lamp King