The Patients V. Perwaiz

Dr. Javaid Perwaiz made money by performing unnecessary procedures and surgeries on trusting women. His arrest raised major concerns for patients and nurses who knew him. 10 On Your Side investigated Perwaiz for more than a year. We uncovered red flags and whistleblowers ignored by the healthcare system. Could someone have stopped Perwaiz before the FBI had to step in?    Watch

Dr. Javaid Perwaiz immigrated from Pakistan to the United States when he started his OB-GYN residency in the 1970s. He made Hampton Roads his home in 1980 when he began his first job in Portsmouth. He quickly made a name for himself and opened a successful solo practice in Chesapeake. 10 On Your Side investigators dug into Perwaiz’ past and his medical practice. He made millions of dollars, but at what price?     Watch

The successful OB-GYN practice Dr. Javaid Perwaiz built for himself began to crumble around him in October 2019. After a year-long investigation, the FBI raided Perwaiz’ Chesapeake office. Officers seized thousands of patient records and his diagnostic equipment. Even after the raid, Perwaiz was still seeing patients and scheduling surgeries. Federal prosecutors had to take action to get the scalpel out of his hands.  Watch

A nurse’s anonymous tip led to the investigation that would end Dr. Javaid Perwaiz’ career. But, years before the FBI’s investigation, the federal indictment, and the jury trial, other women were suspicious of the OB-GYN. Some of these women noticed red flags in Perwaiz’ career and reported them to health care professionals, including the Virginia Board of Medicine. These women say they were ignored.  Watch

Routine checkups often led to invasive surgeries for Dr. Javaid Perwaiz’ patients. Some women believed they were perfectly healthy when they stepped into the OB-GYN’s Chesapeake office, but they found themselves going under the knife just days after their appointments. How did Perwaiz persuade women into having life-altering surgeries?   Watch

Women saw Dr. Javaid Perwaiz for routine exams, and he often diagnosed them with ailments they didn’t know they had. The OB-GYN’s recommended treatment? Surgery. Perwaiz used in-office exams to justify surgeries, but our investigators found he wasn’t particularly gifted at catching illnesses in the early stages. Many of the diagnostic procedures he performed were deceptive.   Watch

Dr. Javaid Perwaiz told federal authorities that he was present for the births of every single one of his pregnant patients. Perwaiz delivered a lot of babies, but those births didn’t always go according to plan. Prosecutors said Perwaiz often induced women early, putting their newborns in jeopardy. 10 On Your Side investigators spoke with mothers who say their babies were harmed during birth by Perwaiz.   Watch

A federal jury convicted Dr. Javaid Perwaiz of performing unnecessary surgeries and procedures on unsuspecting women. But what was the motivation for his crimes? Prosecutors say he was driven by money — and a lot of it. How much money did the OB-GYN make and what did he spend the cash on?    Watch

10 On Your Side investigators discovered that patients, nurses, and health insurance companies identified red flags in Dr. Javaid Perwaiz’ career in the decades before he was arrested. Patients say that complaints to the Virginia Board of Medicine went uninvestigated, and nurses say reports to local hospitals were ignored. Could health care officials have stepped in to stop Perwaiz sooner?   Watch

Justice — it’s what former patients of Dr. Javaid Perwaiz are seeking even after his federal conviction. But how can they find it? The OB-GYN’s crimes left lasting physical and emotional scars on several of the women he treated. They tell us that his May sentencing will be the first step in a lifetime of healing.   Watch