In a tragic turn of events, an Ohio man lost his life following a routine dental procedure. The man, 48-year-old Matthew Miller, suffered a cardiac arrest during a tooth extraction surgery and later succumbed to his condition. His wife, Brandy Miller, has since filed two lawsuits in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, alleging negligence on the part of the dental surgeon, Dr. Faisal Quereshy, and his team. The lawsuit also implicates Case Western Reserve University, where Dr. Quereshy serves as a faculty member and a dental assistant involved in the procedure was a research fellow.
The incident occurred on August 4, 2023, at the Visage Surgical Institute in Medina, southwest Cleveland, where Matthew Miller was scheduled to have three teeth removed. The lawsuit alleges that after being put under general anesthesia, Miller’s oxygen levels dropped, and he ceased to breathe independently. Despite immediate life-saving measures at the facility, Miller was rushed to the hospital where he remained on life support for four days before passing away on August 8, 2023. His cause of death was listed as “acute hypoxic respiratory failure/probably procedural sedation.”
A year after her husband’s untimely death, Brandy Miller initiated legal action against Dr. Quereshy and several members of his staff at the Visage Surgical Institute. The lawsuit also alleges that a dental assistant involved in the procedure was not licensed to practice dentistry. In response, lawyers representing Case Western Reserve University denied all allegations, asserting that Matthew Miller was not under the university’s care, thereby absolving the institution of any fault.
In a related development, local CBS affiliate WOIO obtained a hearing notice from the Ohio State Dental Board concerning the case. The notice reportedly highlighted that Matthew Miller, being morbidly obese, was not an ideal candidate for general anesthesia due to the risk of respiratory complications. The board also noted that Miller should have undergone a physical examination prior to the procedure, which allegedly did not occur.
Michael Pasternak, the attorney representing Brandy Miller, stated that Matthew Miller’s death was entirely preventable and should not have occurred. He added that the charges brought by the State of Ohio Dental Board against Dr. Quereshy and the revelations from the case underscore this point. Pasternak also mentioned that a public hearing by the Dental Board to address the charges against Dr. Quereshy is scheduled for October 22, 2025. He expressed hope that the lawsuit would allow a jury to address the unnecessary and painful death of Matthew Miller.
Attempts to reach Dr. Quereshy’s attorney for comments were unsuccessful.