UC Regents to pay $11.6M to patient who lost leg after knee surgery

A Perris electrician who lost his leg following routine knee surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center will receive nearly $11.6 million from the University of California Board of Regents after settling a lawsuit Feb. 4 in Orange County Superior Court alleging hospital recklessness, evidence destruction and misrepresentation.

Wayne Wolff underwent a high tibial osteotomy performed by UC Irvine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dean Wang on April 3, 2024. According to the original complaint, Wang severed Wolff's popliteal artery during the procedure, then flew to Naples, Florida, the following day to film a promotional video for Arthrex Inc., a medical device manufacturer for which Wang serves as a paid consultant. Wang used Arthrex devices in the surgery. Wolff v. University of California Regents, 30-2025-01459654-CU-MM-NJC (O.C. Super. Ct., filed Feb. 11, 2025).

While Wang was in Florida, nurses documented arterial compromise in Wolff's left foot, including the absence of a pulse, severe pain unrelieved by opioids and skin temperature changes, according to the lawsuit. Wolff's wife, nurse practitioner Lisa Wolff, repeatedly requested imaging studies. A resident suspected compartment syndrome. Wang, the complaint alleges, canceled an ultrasound, refused diagnostic tests from 1,000 miles away and told staff he would address the situation nine hours later. Wolff's ischemia went undiagnosed, and he ultimately lost his leg.

"Wang literally chose to abandon his seriously critical patient, forcing Wolff to languish in pain," the lawsuit stated.

Plaintiff's attorneys Jeoffrey L. Robinson and Patrick B. Embrey, partners at Robinson Calcagnie, accused Wang of subordinating patient care to his corporate relationship with Arthrex and leaving inexperienced residents to manage Wolff's deteriorating condition in his absence.

"The result achieved in this case demonstrates how badly Dr. Wang and UCI failed their patient," Robinson said Thursday. "We can only hope the governing body takes appropriate action."

The lawsuit also accuses UC Irvine of destroying surgical video footage and staff communications after litigation became foreseeable. Robinson said the university's explanation for the deletion does not withstand scrutiny.

"Their defense for destroying the surgical video hinges on a so-called 30-day purge policy -- cloud storage, they said, was getting too full," Robinson said. "But here's what's telling: two weeks after the first surgery, my client's wife -- a surgical nurse -- submitted a three-page grievance letter that made litigation inevitable. Two weeks after that, they destroyed the video. They had already launched their own internal investigation by then."

Robinson said the university's stated rationale for retaining the footage contradicts its rationale for purging it.

"Their justification? The video was created for educational purposes. Which raises an obvious question: who are you educating in 30 days? If that video helped their case, it would still exist. They destroyed it because it didn't. They invoked a purge policy out of one side of their mouth and claimed educational intent out of the other. Those two things cannot coexist."

Plaintiffs further allege that UC Irvine investigated the surgical mishap and subsequent amputation internally, then billed insurers for both, despite having promised the Wolffs it would not do so.

"And this is UCI -- a hospital the public considers premier," Robinson said. "You walk in for an outpatient meniscus procedure and walk out two weeks later without a leg. Then they destroy the evidence."

Wang remains on staff at UC Irvine as head of sports medicine. He did not respond to requests for comment. University officials also did not respond to requests for comment. Steven J. Wysocky, a partner at Kelly, Trotter & Franzen representing the UC Regents, was not available for comment.

Robinson said his client has no illusions about what the settlement represents.

"My client Wayne said, no amount of money in the world is going to undo what they did," Robinson said.