Two women have come forward after filing lawsuits against a plastic surgeon for negligence, claiming they were left permanently “disfigured” following their procedures.
Sara Dunham said Dr. Harvey “Chip” Cole performed various cosmetic procedures on her at the Northside Hospital facilities in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dunham—one of at least nine patients who have sued Dr. Cole—said he recommended a cheek lift, lip lift, eyelid, and ear-pinning surgery after she told him she “wanted to look a little refreshed.”
In her lawsuit, she accused the doctor of “damaging the facial nerve” and “removing too much tissue” from her face.
At least nine former patients have sued Dr. Harvey “Chip” Cole, alleging malpractice or negligence
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Image credits: InvestigateTV / YouTube
The former patient claims the surgery caused her several side effects, including right facial paralysis, impaired eating and drinking, a dry mouth, and the inability to close her eyes.
“Let’s be really honest; I’m disfigured,” Dunham told WVUE-TV on Monday (May 19).
“I’m embarrassed how I look; I’m embarrassed with how I try to talk; I’m embarrassed that I have to keep taking swigs of a liquid to moisturize my mouth to be able to talk.”
Sara Dunham said she went to the surgeon to look “refreshed,” but was left with several side effects, including facial paralysis
Dunham stated that she was motivated to sue because she doesn’t want Dr. Cole “to continue to do it to other people.”
Similarly, 29-year-old Kayla Cannon accused Dr. Cole of “damaging her face” in a lawsuit.
She said her surgery was not for cosmetic reasons, but to correct a “birth defect” that left her without muscle function in her eyelids.
“I’m embarrassed how I look; I’m embarrassed with how I try to talk,” said Dunham, who accused Dr. Cole of leaving her “disfigured”
Initially, Cannon believed the surgery had been successful. However, weeks later, her eyelid dropped back to its original position, “maybe worse,” she claimed.
According to her lawsuit, the doctors Cannon had consulted informed her that too much tissue had been removed from her eyes and that certain areas had been overtightened.
The lawsuit also alleges that Dr. Cole failed to recognize and treat an infection in one of Cannon’s cheek implants.
Dr. Cole denies any wrongdoing, and his attorney accused the patients of “taking their shot at the lawsuit lottery” with their cases
Cannon has undergone seven more surgeries to try to fix the procedure, but says she is still “permanently deformed.”
“He took all of my 20s away from me, the most important years of my life,” she said. “I look worse than when I started, and it k*lls me.”
At least seven additional patients have filed lawsuits against Dr. Cole, accusing him of leaving them disfigured after plastic surgery. The doctor has denied all claims.
Image credits: InvestigateTV / YouTube
“They went to him to make things better, and all he did was make things worse,” stated Alex Seay, the attorney representing the patients.
“You see a pattern in practice of upselling patients for procedures they don’t need and then doing those procedures incorrectly.”
Dr. Cole has previously faced multiple malpractice lawsuits, including one from Julie Kimmerling, who accused him of damaging a blood vessel and nerves in her neck during a procedure in January 2023.
According to the complaint, Kimmerling was left with permanent brain injuries and facial paralysis after losing more than a liter of blood during the surgery.
Kayla Cannon, 29, accused Dr. Cole of “damaging her face” after going to the surgeon to correct a “birth defect”
Kimmerling cited five prior incidents, including a settlement related to the 1999 passing of a patient named Jeannie Huff during an eyebrow lift procedure.
In 2008, Betty Nestlehutt and her husband won a $1.2 million payout after accusing Dr. Cole of causing permanent disfigurement during facial surgery.
Another patient alleged that her face became infected after Dr. Cole used unsterilized surgical instruments during her procedure.
Dr. Cole denies any wrongdoing. His attorney stated that he “will fight the claims against him.”
“Dr. Cole is known to handle some of the most difficult cases in his field, and he is dedicated to his patients.
“He has grave concerns about the methods that may have been used to identify and solicit his patients, and he questions how it is possible that a single plaintiff’s attorney has been retained by several former patients.
“It is Dr. Cole’s strong opinion that an aggressive attorney has received help in soliciting his patients to take their shot at the ‘lawsuit lottery.’ There is much more to this story than is being reported.”
Dr. Cole allegedly recommended cheek implants because he said that Cannon’s cheeks were “very flat”
Dr. Cole is not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, an independent, non-regulatory organization that is considered to be the gold standard certification.
He is certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Board of Laser Surgery, and the American Board of Ophthalmology, and claims to have trained numerous doctors over his 35-year career.
Northside Hospital is also named as a defendant and has been accused of wrongfully allowing Dr. Cole to perform surgeries.
Patients involved in the lawsuits said they’ve filed complaints with the Georgia Composite Medical Board and given in-person statements to board investigators.
Executive director Jason Jones stated that the board treats complaints with “the utmost seriousness.”
The women’s attorney said Dr. Cole has a pattern of “upselling patients for procedures they don’t need and then doing those procedures incorrectly”
Jones said last month that the board is “reviewing and assessing all internal processes to ensure continued integrity and effectiveness in our regulatory responsibilities.”
“Every investigation is unique and requires time to ensure that all concerns are thoroughly addressed.”
Records show Dr. Cole has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a legal process declaring he’s in debt and is selling off assets, after four patients sued him for malpractice.
He and his wife declared $13.6 million in debts and $37,000 in assets.
Since then, a further six patients have reportedly taken legal action.
People supported the women and questioned why Dr. Cole’s medical license had not been revoked
