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Rinat Dray, pictured, claims doctors at Staten Island University Hospital forced her to have a C-section.

Hospital Gives Woman C-Section Against Her Will

An Orthodox-Jewish woman is suing Staten Island University Hospital and two of its physicians, claiming she was forced to undergo a cesarean section against her will.

From the Daily Mail:

Rinat Dray was a 32-year-old mother of two boys who had been delivered via cesarean section. She decided that with her third pregnancy, she wanted to have a VBAC (natural birth).

However, when she arrived at Staten Island University Hospital in labor, Dr. Leonid Gorelik began pressuring her to have another cesarean section, she said this week. 

Dray’s attorney Michael Bast told RH Reality Check that after Dray had been in labor for several hours the attending physician would not examine her unless she agreed to have the surgery.

Gorelik told her that she was putting her baby and herself at risk if she didn’t have the surgery, Dray told The New York Times. The doctor also said that not having the surgery was tantamount to child abuse, and that her baby would be taken away from her if she refused, Dray said.

Hospital records show that the cesarean section was approved by the hospital’s legal department and Dr. James J. Ducey, the director of maternal and fetal medicine.

‘The woman has decisional capacity. I have decided to override her refusal to have a c-section,’ he wrote in her case notes. 

Bast, a specialist in medical malpractice, said that this is the first case in which he has seen a woman’s refusal to have a cesarean section overruled.

Generally, he said, women who are reluctant to have cesarean sections are eventually talked into have the procedure.

According to Dray’s complaint, not only did the hospital ignore her express wishes not to have the surgery, but they also failed to consult the bioethics department and didn’t engage the hospital’s patient advocate, reports RH Reality Check.

Dray, having already undergone two C-sections, was reluctant to endure a third, due to the after-effects of the surgery.

She did her research and believed she may be a successful VBAC candidate. 

Dray raised the issue with physicians in the Metropolitan OB-GYN Associates group and they indicated a natural birth was a possibility for her. 

New guidelines set out by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists state that VBAC is a safe option for most women, including those who have had multiple previous cesareans.

ACOG states that respect for the patient’s decision-making requires that a cesarean birth cannot be forced nor can care be denied if a woman refuses a cesarean during labor. 

The guidelines also note that a VBAC means the patient avoids serious abdominal surgery, lowers a woman’s risk of hemorrhage and infection and can shorten post-partem recovery time. 

During the surgery to which Dray never agreed, the doctor perforated her bladder.

Dr. Gorelik, in court papers, denied that he had carried out the surgery against Dray’s will.

He said that her own ‘culpable conduct and want of care’ were to blame for any injuries she sustained.

According to the Centers for Disease COntrol and Prevention, almost 33 per cent of births are by cesarean section, a rate that has been climbing since 1996 for various reasons, including a desire by mothers and doctors to schedule deliveries and fear of malpractice lawsuits should the baby be injured during a normal delivery.

The New York Times reports that the hospital has defended its actions, saying that its 22 per cent cesarean section rate is much lower than the state average of 34 per cent, and that as of 2012, its VBAC rate was at 29 per cent compared to a state average of 11 per cent. 

Court documents state that Dr. Ducey claims Dray’s baby was ‘at risk for serious harm without the C-section.’

Dray, now 35, says she begged Gorelik to give her more time to give birth to her child naturally.

As she lay on the operating table, he told her, ‘Don’t speak,’ reports The New York Times. 

Dray is suing the doctors and the hospital for malpractice, alleging they ‘improperly substituted their judgement for that of the mother’ and ‘pressuring and threatening’ her during the birth of her youngest son, Yosef, who was born in July 2011.

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92 Comments

  • Chanie

    It’s About time these doctors have some accountability!
    They do whatever they wAnt and get away with it
    It’s not ok to be on the phone while delivering a baby

    This team takes advantage of our community with their attitudes , moods , and other nasty experiences my friends and I have gone through under their care

    I have personally left this team and have never looked back

  • Finally!

    About time someone did this. My friend had a horrible experience with the doctor mentioned. Absolutely traumatic. Her c-section wound got terribly infected and he completely reopened it without any pain medication! When she screamed he told her to “shut up!”

  • Anonymous

    What kind of consent form did she sign when she was admitted to the hospital!

  • Good For Her

    These doctors has such arrogance to ignore her wishes. I hope she teaches them a good lesson.

  • Another Look

    This doctor specifically recently delivered my breech positioned baby naturally – WITHOut a c- section
    He was extremely patient and VERY kind
    I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience.

  • anonymous

    I hope Rinat Dray is successful!!! Stand up for your rights! Such Dr.’s think they are G-d and know everything, but in fact are just trying to cover their ‘bottoms’… It’s extremely important to work with a Dr. who TRULY believes in Hashem!- then such Dr.’s will see the hand of Hashem getting involved in the most wondrous ways beyond comprehension!

  • ODD

    something smells. one would expect that this issue should have been discussed and settled between the patient and her doctor WEEKS prior to the delivery and not while in labor.

    • Correction

      She says she spoke to her doctor during pregnancy and they said she was a good candidate for a VBAC. UNfortunately, you don’t always get to choose the exact doctor who delivers you – you have to deal with whoever is on call, who may not be as willing to work with you. And lots of things come up during labor and the best laid plans get set aside…

  • Esty B

    This is horrible. What a monster to bully a woman at such a vulnerable time. Hope she wins her case and the pain of the fine leads to some change.

    • Great Dane

      I would imagine that we’re not hearing the entire story. Is it possible that the doctor understood he was dealing with a life threatening situation to the baby?

    • Annette

      Great Dane, I’m not sure how he would know that considering he refused to examine her.

  • YMSP

    Good for her. Zechus harabim teluyo boh.

    “The doctor also said that not having the surgery was tantamount to child abuse, and that her baby would be taken away from her if she refused, Dray said.” And this was without examining her, which he wouldn’t do unless she complied with his demands.

    One needs to know these people to see their depravity and that of today’s university system. I’ve seen doctors trick relatives into letting them essentially kill elderly people, solely because of their age.

    This past Gimel Tamuz, I was farbrengen basically alone with a shliach when one of his Baalei Batim walked in. He was a doctor and he started talking about “medical ethics.” He made it very clear that once he’s lived a certain age, he’d be perfectly fine with receiving no care, or care only after the young. (He basically admitted to Obamacare death panels, but thought they were a good thing that “frees up the system.” We chose to address the issue rather than to inform him of the plain truth, that he’d just described Nazi medical philosophy to a tee, yemach shemom). We responded nicely about the value of life and of every individual’s life and how protecting this is key to any aspect of a good society. After he left I told the shliach, “see, the next time anyone mentions “medical ethics” to you understand that it’s just a nice euphemism for how to kill people.” (in less formal language)

    Shulchan Oruch says that you can’t trust an Akum to be left alone as a doctor for fear that they’ll kill the patient R”L (which is what conscious denial of care usually is). The same must apply to someone who is steeped in Daas Akum, and it should be noted that the “Modern Orthodox” are as bad as the rest.

    Side note to everyone – the next time that someone posts a comment obscenely favoring the confiscation of children from Lev Tahor (an admittedly fringe group, who still deserve human decency), R”L hoyo lo siheyeh, and who say that such could never happen, R”L hoyo lo siheyeh, to a “regular frum” family (which would still make what was done to Lev Tahor a travesty) – here you have a case where the woman is a wonderful mother of two kids yet some doctor, crazed on power with no care for his patients, wanted to confiscate her kids – Hashem Yishmor!

  • My view...

    First of all, before I comment I want to say That I am a medical professional. In my profession we focus on holistic medicine while having several years of education and knowledge of clinical medicine. I do not know this woman nor do I know the full situation. I also do not agree with doctors view of child abuse by not doing the c-section. However, I do not think the doctor was fully wrong in wanting to do the c-section either. Once you reach labor past a certain point your amniotic fluids sac ruptures it becomes very dangerous for the mother and baby. So does preeclampsia. Any of those issues occur? If so I agree with the decision of the c-section and the drs did the right thing

    • Anonymous

      Wow u obviously know NOTHING about birth or medicine, who r u trying to fool? I had preeclampsia 2x it does not mean u need a csection. Smh. N regardless this is HER body n baby, nothing should be FORCED on her against her will just b/c some dr thinks it’s best

  • about time

    Research your doctor’s ladies all crown heightsers run to goralick Klinger and dori the stories I hear out way any pros about them Staten Island is a horrible hospital good luck

  • finally

    DR. GORELIK HAS A NASTY PERSONALITY, certainly not one befitting of a Dr. Who must Deal with woman in difficult situations. He is extremely arrogant. I left that practice as well.

  • proud

    I have had excellent experience with this group. When my birth started having complications they showed extreme competence! They were extremely kind caring and sensitive

  • home birth rules

    use midwifes, better yet home births its proven to be alot safer look at the stats.

    • Seriously?

      Are you for real??? She already had two C-Sections and you think its safer to have a VBAC at home? Stop drinking the kool-aid!

  • Of course

    Now everyone is going to post all their nasty stories about these wonderful people. To me it sounds like the woman herself ain’t all there…its very common to NOT be able to go through a VBAC and you are ualways told that there is this chance.
    And remember; we are only hearing one side of the (frum and narrowminded) story…
    May she have a speedy and easy recovery.
    CR

    • BM

      You see, that someone who insults a whole community like that really does not deserve an intelligent reply. So I am just letting you know why no one is acknowledging your post.

  • Go Home Birth

    Now you know why so many woman are going for home birth. 33% C-Section INSANE!!! The HOSPITAL doctors don’t care about people ONLY their career, liability… I have been lied to by MANY hospital doctors!!! No wonder why the Rebbe never wanted to set food in a hospital even in Pikuach Nefesh. He understood that choosing the right doctors AND taking them out of the abusive hospital system was better for his health than having all the fancy machines in the hospital.

  • Crown heights

    Something dose not sound right. I used them for 7 children and I was so happy with them

  • Extremely thankful to dr Gorelik

    If Dr Gorelik hadn’t come to my delivery as he quickly did, I was gaurenteend a c- section! I was prepared and in the or already with dr Dori ready to do the c- section ! Dr Dori called Dr Gorelick for back up and the 2 of them successfully delivered my baby without the c-section!
    Dr. Garelick was extremely patient very thoughtful and par excellence in his bedside manners!
    He’s a real mentch!

  • army general

    Education, trust in the power of birth, midwifery care, doula support are essential to normal birth. Its hard to judge a case after the fact…the key is to start off in the right place with the right team with the right preperation. Women deserve to have empowered holy births… respectly submitted.

  • 2 priors

    This woman had 2 previous c secs. Chances shows that she would have another one. I’m sure the docs tried to deliver naturally. But imagine how much more traumatized this woman would have been if her baby had been harmed or worse during a natural delivery. Natural deliveries are overrated (meaning obviously it’s the best choice, but if there is a chance of danger to the baby, go with the c-sec). I have had all my children with this practice and have never had a bad experience.

    • I'm a doctor

      Your comment is idiotic. It is very rate that a C-Sec is better than natural birth.

  • They are disgusting people

    Dr. Klinger was on “the internet” while I was giving birth in the room!

    He comes in after the delivery and says “sorry I was busy saving someones life” !!!!

    This low life billed the insurance for delivering a baby but was NOT present and no where to be found !!

    He has some chutzpah and I will never go back there.

  • sorry for her but...

    Sorry for what she had to go through, BUT, i happen to have experience with this group with both c-section and vbac and they are very pro vbac and do whatever they can (of course according to ny law) to deliver naturally. AND of all 3 Drs, Dr. Gorelick is known for doing a great job on c-sections. Such a shame and sad to read this article.

  • Wonderful Dr.

    I have had KAH 6 children with this practice. My last 2 were delivered by Dr. Gorelik. He was fantastic. Would use him again.

  • baby's life vs. moms preferences

    so sad to see how many women out there are happy to risk their baby’s life so that they can “experience” the delivery they choose. in a hospital, a women is hooked up to a machine which monitors baby’s breathing and the contractions. And, b”h, we have the option to operate so that a baby starting to show signs of distress can be born alive and without any brain damage. if you choose not to take advantage of medical knowledge and if you choose not to acknowledge how much the infant mortality rate has gone down since these advancements, the only one standing a chance to suffer is the child you give birth to. as a mom of b”h many, i cannot fathom how you risk your child’s life.

    • Misconception

      This is one of the big misconceptions people have about homebirth. It’s not about the mother’s comfort, it’s about the baby’s safety. A normal, low-risk birth, is a lot safer at home, away from the hospital.

    • Anonymous

      Umm the infant mortality n maternal mortality rates r rising not going down. This country has one of the highest maternal death rates in the developed world. We choose homebirth because we know it is safer for both mother n baby. N also so as not to be bullied or harassed by drs like this!

  • Grandma

    Dr. Gorelik delivered one of my grandchildren. He was cold & unpleasant but competent. I can’t say I would have chosen him but he does his job. I have mixed feelings on this – I can see him bullying her, but he does know what he’s doing. I will bet there’s more to this than we are seeing.

  • Happy I had them

    As someone who delivered with c section and other difficulties I just want to say this group saved me. I would have lost my babies or died having them if they would not have been there. Doctors like shidduchim work or chas veshalom don’t work out well. There are women who used doctors with big names. Those doctors never made it to the births. These women were treated horribly and had many complications. I hope Mrs Dray and her baby are fine. Now just move on and thank G-d you are fine. Find another doctor and don’t waste your time on long cases. I know , I nearly didn’t make it.

  • Docs cannot be trusted

    First of all, CS is very lucrative business – get paid nicely vs. natural birth. So Docs have different ways to bring a woman to CS. Here is one, for instance.
    Normally, there is a symphony between uterus and cervix during labor. Cervix, as it matures, regulates how hard the uterus pushes baby. “Hey, I am not yet ready, so slow down”, cervix tells uterus. This dialogue can last for hours Until final culmination – birth.
    So it getting late and Doc wants to go home. He dreams about new Lexus and nice vacation on Virgin Islands. He slams pitosin into the woman thus disrupting this natural music. Now, uterus pushes baby in mad frenzy against the wall – immature cervix (I.e. Pain level goes way up for woman). Lo and behold, baby responses to this insane push with late disells. So Doc returns with a labor strip and tells exasperated woman (pitosin have generated huge pain for woman), “Darling, you have been pushing for 12 hr . Now , the baby is in distress and you are suffering with a lot of pain. Let’s do CS and will be done with it”. Guess, what would be the woman choice in this case?

    Secondly, there are plenty of science stating that VBAC after second CS is safe option. On the other hand, There are plenty of evidence stating that CS is being abused in the US. And CS is essentially iatrogenic uterine rupture replete with immediate and long term complications including death, infertility, chronic pain and incisional hernias (requiring multiple surgeries), etc.

    And as to Dr.Gorelick, if a woman has strong bedside support and good insurance, she will get nice treatment and smooth talk. Otherwise, prepare yourself for “KGB treatment”.

  • knowledge

    I’m sorry to hear that this woman had a bad experience. I went thru 8 pregnancies with this group, and I always felt safe with them. Even though by some of my pregnancies, I wanted things a certain way, I still knew and still know that a doctor does know things more then a patient. as knowledgeable as you may be, and as much research that you’ve done, it does not equal to the amount of knowledge and experience that a doctor has. some doctors do perform c-sections as an ‘easy way out’. this group in particular (most of the time) is probably the one group that pushes for natural birth. just because someone WANTS to have a certain type of birth, it does not mean that it’s possible to do so.
    this woman who had 2 c-sections had a chance to go to any other doctor before choosing this practice. she obviously chose this practice since she knew that she would have a higher chance of a VBAC with them then with any other group. She had full choice to choose any other practice! if that’s the case, then respect their decision of whether they can do one or not. YOU are not the Doctor!

  • client of the practice

    Dr. Gorelik performed a d&c for me and delivered one of my children; he was patient, kind, calm, collected, and supportive. This story seems out of character. Like others mentioned, there seems to be more to this story than is presented here. If she had discussed her wishes for a v-bac with the group earlier in her pregnancy, as she claims she did, then she must rely on the doctor’s experience and expertise when he recommended the c-section. This story contributes to the alarming trend of patients doubting their doctor’s judgment. Modern medicine has come a long way in saving lives and improving health. Educate yourselves, before deciding that “trends” in health care are better than established practices.

  • follow ur gut!

    I left that group of doctors, and never turned back. I was lied to, manipulated into unnecessary medical procedures, and yelled at and reduced to tears. My labor was moving very quickly and they told me to have my husband drive me from CH to Staten Island, when it was blatantly obvious we would never make it on time. My daughter was born minutes later! B”H, all ended well, but there could have been complications, c”v.
    I switched to Park Slope Midwives for my last few births, and have been much happier. I totally recommend them!
    Behatzlacha!

  • Anonymous

    I feel like some of the people who are commenting don’t respect the fact that doctors are educated and have lots of experience and their opinions mean more than your neighbor’s opinions when it comes to healthcare.

  • 9/10

    I was in the room with my friend during a routine visit in her 9th month. I will NEVER forget how insensitive he was when he checked her, I’ll never forget her screaming. He didn’t give any notice that he was going to, didn’t ask her for permission to do so (especially since I was in the room) and then he forced an ultrasound on her against her wishes!
    9/10 of my friends have had nightmare experiences with this group. Too many have been forced into a section with scare tactics and then told that “I saved your/your babies life”.
    DESPICABLE!!!!

  • BIRTH

    A woman that has had 2 sections still has GREAT chances of having a VBAC! There are MANY WARNING SIGNS before uterine rupture. So many more risks in having a csection than a VBAC!

    SHAME on them for bullying a woman during the most vulnerable time of her life!!!

  • Maybe Hes mean! boo hoo

    He sounds mean, but really who cares when it comes down to the facts. He is a DR and she is a patient. The DR went with his professional opinion to make sure HER babies life. sounds like she should be grateful that her baby is okay. I do think there is more to this story.

  • nice

    fantastic doctors ! sad to HEAR this .GORELIK IS A WONDERFUL CARING DOCTOR .I AM SORRY TO HEAR THAT HAKODOSH BORUCH HO IS NOT INVOLVED HERE AT ALL .ONLY THE ATTORNEY .AND WOMEN THAT DON’T EVEN KNOW THE DOCTOR . ONCE YOU HAD 2 C-SECTION ITS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO HAVE A THIRD ONE .DAVEN BETTER FOR A EASY UP BRING AND A GOOD CHILD. AND ASK HASHEM FOE COMPENSATION . MAZAL TOV

  • patient

    When I gave birth to my child with special needs – it was Dr. Gorelik that broke the news to us – he did it with kindness and sensitivity. Dr. Klinger was the next shift – he came into our room and also spoke to us for a while. I heard from the nurses in the nicu how Dr. Gorelik came a few times to check on our baby to see how she was doing – he want above and beyond

  • Hm

    I actually had the exact OPPOSITE experience with this group of doctors at Staten Island Hospital.

    Dr. Klinger did everything in his power to avoid giving me a C-Section; he kept opening and closing the OR and sweating for hours.

    Rochel Vail- who has attended over 2000 births- said if I would’ve been anywhere else, with any other set of doctors or midwives, there would’ve been no chance for a natural birth!

    BH, was a healthy natural delivery.

  • about this

    7. ODD has a point. Truthfully, we don’t know what happened, we were not there.
    If she truly needed the C-sec, which is possible….although true that too many are given……some basically are not necessary, and some are life-saving. Be intelligent and know that the details are what are important here. It could be that the doctor had to do the section, and it could be that the mom is not being realistic. ANYTHING is possible. Personally, I pray for the TRUTH. So thats what we need here.
    I agree also with #27, that we must educate ourselves, before deciding that TRENDS in health care are better than established practice. There is a time, and a place for every situation. We pray for the revelation of truth and what is right, etc.

  • Dr Gorelick

    Was such a great dr until we moved and couldn’t use him anymore. Sorry for ur bad experience!

  • Two c sections

    Many years ago I went to a junior nshei event where the entire lecture was anti c section. The lecturer dared to say that there is never any reason to have one!! And gave the example that an emergency c section is not really an emergency cuz it takes a good half hour to get the staff together and the mother prepped so in that time the Dr. can help her deliver naturally!
    This is so irresponsible. I had 2 babies via c section because of a history at one of my births. My Drs were willing to let me try a natural birth and the second time a vbac but I chose a c section both times! Why? Because the risk to my baby during a natural birth versus MY discomfort (pain, recovery, scar etc) was a no brainer. Frankly this notion that c sections are the devil is selfish and has nothing to do with what’s right or the best thing for your child. It’s about the new age organic, kale eating, gluten free, home birth, naturalist pinterest perfect…..I did it naturally so I can be wonder woman, kinda attitude!
    That said I don’t know the other side to this woman’s story but if you think the Drs only do C sections to cover themselves, you’d think they’d allow this woman to sign that she refused a c section and let her deliver the baby in a risky way. They obviously did what they thought was best for the child at the time and had a reason for it. They could cover themselves both ways but they weren’t willing to take the risk on behalf of the baby cuz they cared enough to take a stand!!

  • Two sides

    If she went VBAC and ruptured her uterus she’s be suing him for that. VBAC, especially after 2, carries it’s own set of risks. I attempted one and the baby would not budge. The dr and I finally agreed to do a C. I would much rather have surgery and retain my uterus! I would also much rather sacrifice my recuperation time for a baby without problems! So I couldn’t run around as fast, who cares? At the end of the day you have to look at the bigger picture.

  • OH MY GOD

    I can’t believe what the comments I am seeing. There is so much hate and I expected better from my community. More than half of you HAVE NO CLUE WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! All these uneducated comments are sickening. If the baby is in danger then the doctor must do whatever he can to save the baby. It doesn’t matter what the mother wants if it will hurt the baby.

    • Happy

      Most people I talk to say the hospital and these doctors are disgusting. And I know one of them

    • Hmm...

      except that half the time it’s the doctor that got that baby in danger by pushing all kinds of interventions and things which impede a healthy, natural delivery

  • AGREE with #1

    Completely agree with comment #1. The doctors yelled at me during my labor.I was traumatized after using this group of doctors to deliver my first baby. I left this practice for a group of caring and sensitive midwifes and am so happy I did!!!

  • Don't want to be sued

    Dr klinger had a nasty experience when he was with dr twersky – a women died – so he has to go the safest way

  • Anonymous

    How were these doctors during Mrs. Dray’s first 2 pregnancies? Why did she stay with them?

    • Anonymous

      She had different physician groups for each pregnancy. She was shopping around for a physician group that would help her deliver naturally. The last physician group “sells” itself as great supporters of VBAC. In reality, no one really cares.

      The problem is that there is no way one can get statistic on VBAC in each particular group making it quite a gamble.

  • mig

    My situation was very similar to Mrs. Dray, however, the difference was my doctor supported me all the way. When I had my two boys, b’a’h, both c-sections. For my third child I insisted my daughter be delivered by a VBAC. My doctor was very sensitive and supportive of my decision, and B”H, I had a VBAC with no problems.

  • Anonymous

    I met here after the surgery
    She could hardly move
    and looked in shock!

  • Patient wrote

    I think after having 2 c-section and under going a long labor a doctor can have a choice to think of both the mother and baby. We have to put aside of all the extreme and beautiful reasons for natural birth. A doctor does not decide this so quickly! Really BH the mother and baby are healthy. Yes it is extremely painful afterwards but every patient is made different and we do not know if there was any sedative given and how much a baby was under going! Many factors leave it up to the medical board seriously!

  • I'm not a doctor , but

    I hope that the doctor did the right decision to save the baby and the mother , he did confirmed it with some other hospital authorities ….
    I just don’t understand why this lady didn’t choose the other hospital /doctors who have her a hope for VBAC after two c -c…that she mentioned above ..and didn’t choose the second opinion of course if it was a time to do it ….
    Personally delivered with Dr.Gorelick and the delivery part with him was really a good experience and all other gynecological prosedures and check ups are very pleasant manners , informative , never felt any pressure ….
    We need to understand that all doctors are only doctors and mistakes are happening , so as a consumer try to find the one that satisfy you the best and discuss all the concerns , but please BE REALISTIC -THE SAFETY OF THE BABY AND THE MOTHER ARE ON THE FIRST PLACE during the labor …..

    I’m not supporting the home birth at all , and think it’s not an answer to avoid any c-c /complication and I think in case that any emergency situation happens there will no one on the site to help it right away …

    Best recovery for the mother

  • The halacha is she is allowed to be forced

    The sefer Nishmas Avroham based on the pesak of Rabbi Auerbach & other expert poskim on medical halacha says a clear answer to this question to exactly such a scenario that happened in eretz yisroel that if a Doctor feels that a patient needs a C – section or it may endanger the babies life by having ” a natural birth” she can be forced to have a c section. He says unless it is believed that the baby will likely survive any way, then one cannot force the mom to have a section. Look it up youself in this sefer before all of you rush to play Rabbi, Doctor etc.

    Besides all this rushing to judgment with out hearing the doctor & hospital side of the story is highly inappropriate at best.

    • The halacha is she is allowed to be forced

      typo correction to my note, ” unless it is believed the baby will likely NOT survive anyway even if born by C – section”

  • sounds like shes throwing sour grapes

    Doctors have an ethical obligation to act in their patients’ best interests. Patient autonomy, though very important, is but one of four major principles of medical ethics. The other 3 are beneficence, non-maleficence, and distributive justice.

    In this case, the hospital and doctors have not one patient, but two. One is an adult who appears competent to make medical decisions. The other is a fetus, at term, who has no voice. The courts have repeatedly affirmed that the state has a duty to protect citizens that cannot protect themselves. If a fetus is believed to be “alive,” then an argument can be made that it must be protected as well.

    Pregnant women have been forced to receive imprisoned to prevent them from harming their fetuses (e.g. drug abusers), take medication (e.g. for treatable diseases), and even receive c-sections if the baby’s life is judged to be in direct jeopardy.

    While we don’t know the full details of this case, it is important to note that the patient’s own doctor, the director of MFM (e.g. high risk OB), and hospital administration had all agreed that the c-section was potentially life-saving for the fetus.

    I understand Ms. Dray’s desire to have a vaginal delivery, but the fact that she required 2 prior c-sections suggests that this 3rd attempt was even less likely to succeed. In the end, she recovered from the surgery and now has 3 healthy children.

    • Do not assume Dr's intentions

      Doctor’s claim that “the baby was in danger” is point of debate in Rinat’s case. And the fact that Chief of MFM and Attending Physician were in “agreement” doesn’t mean anything – they are all “nogea b’dovor” i.e you scratch my back, I – yours.

      Rinat felt that the baby wasn’t in danger and the only reason why she was forced to do CS is, in doctor’s words, “I don’t have all day for you”.

      Remarkably, she has some powerful names in OBGYN backing her up.

      Besides, why would the doctor resort to intimidating tactic instead explaining why baby was in danger? The only answer I can find there had been no legitimate reason for CS.

      This is truth of life: once Doctor declares – for whatever reason- “Emergency CS”, he receives a LICENSE TO KILL woman/mother/wife/sister/daughter; there is no way to challenge CS in the US court.

    • thank you

      Love the part about the fetus having no voice. one would think that the mom would be its voice but sadly, sometimes mom has different ideas which don’t take baby’s safety into account.

  • Amazing Doctors!!

    I don’t comment a lot, but had to say that the Metro OBGYN Doctors, including the mentioned Dr. Gorelik, are all really amazing! We were so impressed by their expertise and caring! He was so patient!

    Please do not be influenced by this article or negative comments.

  • sad

    To all the woman protecting Dr. Gorelick…….
    just because you had a good experience with him doesn’t mean other peoples horrific stories aren’t true!
    Even if he felt that woman needed the c-section there is a way to do it. But that’s him under pressure …..really ugly and I saw it in person.
    Yes, Dr. DORI AND KLINGER from my experience were good…..but there was no trouble at the time……when there’s a challange that’s the test.
    I feel that the two mentioned Dr.s should have sent him packing he has a long laundry list of unhappy patients.

  • Anonymous

    How could the doctor say any injuries were her fault-did she puncture her own bladder?

  • my experience

    I to left the practice and never looked back
    I had a horrible experience delivering my first baby
    Dr Klinger took advantage of us-new parents to be, who didn’t hire a doula and trusted him. He told us that our baby needs to be born because the water is low, but told my husband to tell the hospital staff that the Dr found a problem in the baby’s heart beat,so that the hospital wouldn’t make an ultrasound and send me home (obviously , there was enough water)
    I got an epidural and was induced. Dr klinger was leaving on Vacation to Mexico the next morning. He was in a rush to have the baby be born fast. He had the nurse turn off the anesthesia, so things would move faster. He came in to the room with red tired eyes, and in a terrible mood. He was so not in the mood of doing a delivery. I was in excruciating pain from the potassium, (with no anesthesia). He was so insensitive, the nurse was feeling bad for me .
    to make the story shorter. I had such a difficult delivery being in so much pain that it took me 3 months to recover. A completely unnecessary experience!
    I delivered twins without an epidural, it wasnt fun, but it didn’t come close to the terrible experience i had with these Doctors.
    Do your research, there are better Drs out there. Also,make sure to be well informed so you are not being taken advantage of .

  • Rachel

    Dr. Aaron Weinreb is the best obgym he strongly believes in natural birth even after many C-sections he is local and very good

  • the three stooges!!

    I jave had terrible experiences with these 3 doctors. People chpse them because unfortunately there is little choice for other doctors who are in the community and accept medicaod insurance.

    I was put into surgery for a cyst they claimed needed to be treated Instantly. When I called the office earlier with my symptoms he told me I need not worry and dont haveto come in to be seen. 2 months later I was rushed into surgery, woth the clown dr. Gorelic. After surgerybhe said I would be infertile for the rest pf my life and diagnosed me with endometriosis. Thank g_d I went to dr. Schattman of cornell a leading specialist who could not believe thw pictures o f the laparoscope. As a leading specialist in infertility he stated I had nothing to worry about, and told me thw whole surgery should have been avoided and the entire diagnosos was incorrect. Bh I just gave birth again proving this ignoramous wrong. Chose your drs. Wisely.

    • use your brain

      if your choice of a doctor is so limited within the community due to having medicaid maybe you should get onto a real insurance and stop scamming the government! then you can see which ever doctor you’d like :)

  • A happy Patient

    There are always 2 sides kt a story
    Some people have positive experiences
    I personally had an amazing experience with dr garelik. He was very sensitive during my first birth. They know their stuff and are very caring.
    Sorry that this lady had to go through that – any way you look at it – it is traumatic for her.
    I don’t think this is a place to be washing the floor with the dr garelik. The team does an excellent job but as any other practice in the world is subject to error! No place is perfect and you need to pick what works for you. If you were unhappy that your story- but there are people that are. Bad mouthing and calling him disgusting is immature.
    I don’t mean to take their side in anyways/ but think about that good that they do as well.
    There is another side to this c section story – and we will never know the dr side – bc he won’t share it.
    Good luck with everyone in choosing the right drs and delivering healthy children

  • Boruch W

    Let’s throw Dr. Gorelick under the bus, especially because we don’t know the real story because we never heard his side.

    • Boruch W

      Actually, Dr. Gorelick did a fantastic job delivering our first born. He does a great service for the community. If you don’t want to use Dr. Gorelick, he probably wouldn’t want to serve you either. Mutual. But I’m sure the many who his practice has helped will continue to have faith in his practice. BTW, I looked him up on healthgrades and he has 0 sanctions, board actions and malpractice claims.

  • attitude problem

    If someone has an attitude problem, it’s the woman, not the doctor. Based on this woman’s history, there was a very small chance she would not need a C-section, so she should appreciate the fact that they agreed to try it. Yes, it sounds like the doctor spoke very nastily to her, but we didn’t hear how she spoke to him, and how stubborn and stupid she was being, that made him respond that way.

  • Marina

    I work in l& d and don’t get me started how stupid this lady sounds. She should be thankful that she and her baby us fine. I guess the uneducated are unaware what can happen especially with vbacs! Move on!!

  • Anonymous

    To #73-it was not enough that the nurse “felt bad for you”.She should have advocated for you and not turned off the anesthesia.

  • to each his own

    I was coaching a women with this team of Drs.
    In the hospital, this first time pregnant mother was scared to stand up for herself and she begged me to be quiet. The Dr. gorelik wanted to leave and said lets do a c. In the O.R. the anesthesiologist asks the Dr. reason for c, he was writing report. the dr had no answer. I was there, I can tell you, each women has her own experience. But theres a big but Get yourselves educated!!!! understand really how our bodies work how sometimes we need Drs. But dont trust them blindly they make alot of money from c-sections. And this friend whom i was with understands now after two natural births, (not with this team who are sometimes butchers) that her body and mind can work the miracle of birth.

  • stillbirth

    I have had a dreadful experience with this group. When I called in that I hadnt felt movement in a while, they told me to come in to their office, made me wait 2 hours, and then when they checked me and saw it was serious, made me drive to their hospital, and by that time, the baby already died. Had they any conscience, they would have rushed me to any nearest hospital.

    And Dr. Gorelik, he’s the one who came and said : well, if you would have taken an ambulance, the baby may have been brain damamged, so good you came by car.

  • 1234

    I’m sorry for her, but something is not quite right with this picture. A woman who has gone through 2 c’s can certainly have a natural birth after, however this is something that should have been discussed with the doctors from her first appointment all through her pregnancy. She should have been more proactive during her pregnancy, to make sure she wouldnt end up in a situation like this.