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WEST JORDAN — A Salt Lake eye doctor was sentenced to prison Wednesday for performing surgeries despite his license being suspended.
Paul Wade Wyatt, 55, performed ophthalmology surgeries in Utah after his license was suspended in October 2016, leaving multiple people with permanent or severe injuries to their eyes, according to charging documents.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful professional conduct and two counts of aggravated assault, third-degree felonies. As part of a plea deal, multiple additional charges in two cases, one filed in September 2020 and another in November 2022, were dismissed.
Assistant attorney general Langdon Fisher said there were many problems with Wyatt's surgeries, which he performed for cash payments and often for low-income patients.
Multiple licensed doctors confirmed extreme medical misconduct after reviewing information about a sampling of the patients seen by Wyatt, according to Fisher. He said Dr. Nick Mamalis, who specializes in eye surgeries at Moran Eye Center, noted three cataract surgery patients still had lens fragments in their eyes, something that is rarely an issue. He also said samples were never sent out for laboratory work, when sending samples for lab work is standard practice in eye care.
Wyatt continued performing unlawful surgeries despite multiple problems and did not stop until he faced outside intervention, according to Fisher. In one instance, a patient continued seeing Wyatt at least 23 times for follow-up appointments until Wyatt was charged.
Fisher argued that the unlicensed doctor should serve consecutive prison sentences for each of the charges because of the widespread harm caused by his actions.
Defense attorney Sarah Kuhn said although her client made poor decisions, he ideally wanted to help his patients. She argued for probation, saying it would be an appropriate sentence and it would give Wyatt an opportunity to show he can improve and work to help pay restitution to the victims.
Third District Judge Kristine Johnson said she did not think probation would reflect the damage caused by Wyatt, but she also said consecutive sentences would be unjust and far more severe than the sentencing guidelines prepared in the case by Adult Probation and Parole.
She ordered him to serve four terms of zero to five years in prison, but said they can be served concurrently.
Johnson scheduled a hearing for Wyatt on May 3 to address how much money Wyatt should need to pay as restitution to victims in the case. He agreed to pay restitution as part of the plea agreement.
At least one patient filed a civil lawsuit claiming surgeries performed by Wyatt left him permanently blind in one eye. The lawsuit said Wyatt would offer to perform cataract surgery for undocumented immigrants at his practice in Holladay for a fraction of the average cost. The lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of activity after Wyatt filed for bankruptcy.
