Bridgewater Actress, In Lawsuit, Says Doctor Used 'Dirty Needles'

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater local and actress Christina Castellanos is still waiting for medical records she requested a year after she filed a lawsuit against the Hunterdon Healthcare System and Dr. Andrea Strauss claiming the doctor used "dirty needles" on her during a breast reduction procedure.

Castellanos, who has portrayed an inmate in Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black" and a Correctional Officer in Amazon Prime's "Chase Street," says she is "damaged for life" following her encounter with Strauss.

"I went through a very traumatic experience with this and still to this day it is a battle," said Castellanos. "I am traumatized for the rest of my life."

Castellanos, represented by Scott Leonard of the Leonard Legal Group in Morristown, filed the lawsuit in April 2020 in Somerset County Superior Court. Part of the lawsuit requested that Castellanos' medical records be turned over. A year later, those records have not been released.

"We cannot comment on pending litigation," said Kathleen A. Seelig, a spokeswoman with the Hunterdon Healthcare System.

Castellanos said she wanted to share her story in hopes of encouraging other patients to come forward and not allow this issue to be "swept under the rug."

Castellanos' ordeal

Castellanos' ordeal began in May 2018 when she went to see Strauss, a plastic surgeon who was employed by Hunterdon Plastic Surgery and ran her office in Flemington.

After the breast reduction procedure, Castellanos returned a month later, in June 2018, because she developed "infections and significant scarring."

Castellanos again had to return to Strauss in September 2018 for a nipple repositioning procedure "because it was initially improperly performed by Dr. Strauss, was asymmetrical, and uneven," according to the lawsuit.

During the nipple procedure, Castellanos was wide awake and not given any anesthesia.

"It was just horrific to see blood and be wide awake," said Castellanos. "I kept saying to myself, 'Should this be normal?'"

Castellanos said she continued to have issues with her breasts following the procedures and underwent multiple injections and treatments from October 2018 through January 2019.

It was on June 7, 2019, when Castellanos and any other of Strauss' patients, received a letter from David Skillinge, President of Hunterdon Medical Group, stating Hunterdon Plastic Surgery "breached in patient safety protocols for injections, which may have exposed patients to blood born pathogens (diseases in a patient's blood), such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and other infections."

"When I first read the letter I freaked out. I was really scared. I had a nervous breakdown. I literally lost it. I thought I could possibly have something as incurable and devastating as HIV," said Castellanos.

Castellanos went to a new doctor in September 2019 to undergo a reparative surgery on her breasts. She said she will be going for her third reparative surgery on April 19, 2021 to correct what Strauss had done.

"I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy," said Castellanos.

"It is nerve-wracking enough to go in for a medical procedure. You rely on your doctor to follow the proper procedures and infection control measures… But when they expose patients to blood-born pathogens like HIV or hepatitis it can lead to serious consequences," said Leonard. "We are looking to hold Strauss and Hunterdon accountable for the breach in safety protocols which resulted in the serious injury to our client."

See below to read the entire lawsuit:

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.