Murder Suspect's Wife At Center Of Complaint Against Slain Lodi Doctor
LODI (CBS13) — A doctor was found murdered in his home six years after one of his patients who was treated for a hangnail ended up losing part of her foot.
The wife of one of the suspects in the death of Dr. Thomas Shock was at the center of a complaint filed against the doctor. Robert Lee's now-deceased wife filed a complaint against Shock with the California Board of Podiatric Medicine.
Lodi Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of Lee and two other suspects in the August murder of Shock.
READ THE COMPLAINT: Complaint Against Dr. Thomas Shock
Shock was suspended for 60 days in 2016 and placed on probation for five years as a result of the incident. He would later violate that probation and surrendered his license on June 4, 2018.
The 2011 complaint involving a patient of Shock referred to only as B.L. describes alleged gross negligence that lead to the amputation of half of a patient's foot.
The patient first visited Shock on Jan. 4, 2011 with complaints of pain in her right foot and an ingrown toenail on her big toe on the same foot.
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Ten months later, the patient returned to Shock's office on Nov. 1 with an infected toenail on her big toe on her left foot. Shock noted on the chart that there was an infection of the folds around the toe. The infected area was drained, but there was no detailed description of the procedure. A future visit described the procedure as a matricectomy.
On Nov. 9, the patient was prescribed an antibiotic after complaints of pain and redness. On Nov. 14, the infection appeared more persistent, resulting in more removal of the patient's toenail. No cultures were taken, and the patient was prescribed another antibiotic on Nov. 16. The patient returned on Nov. 21 with more complaints of redness and drainage and was prescribed two more antibiotics.
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It wasn't until a visit on Dec. 5 when Shock took cultures from the patient's toe. A week later, an anti-fungal medication was prescribed as a result of the culture.
Another culture was done and she was directed to go to the emergency room. Notes on Dec. 27 indicate her entire nail was removed and there was dead tissue at the base of the wound. The blood flow to the toe was also called into question and another medication was prescribed to increase blood flow.
A series of injections were given to relieve pain over the next month. On Jan. 30, 2012, more dead tissue was found. More injections of pain medication and other medication were given until Feb. 24 when the toe was partially amputated. Half of her foot had to be removed the next month after tests found the infection had reached the bone.
The complaint was filed in April 2014, a decision was handed down in 2015, and after an attempt at an appeal, Shock was suspended in January of 2016.
A second complaint was filed against him in December 2016 over issues with a foot surgery on a patient.