BOSTON (AP) – A Concord belly dancer has filed a federal lawsuit against her plastic surgeon, alleging that the surgeon did not warn her that the tummy tuck operation would keep her from dancing.

Patricia Vero claimed in her negligence suit filed Wednesday that Dr. Marguerite Barnett of Sarasota, Fla., a fellow belly dancer and friend, had breached warranties and failed to inform Vero of the risks of the surgery.

Since Barnett is also an experienced belly dancer, Vero claimed the doctor was “fully aware of the importance the abdominal area, including especially the rectus and other muscles, has to a belly dancer.”

If the doctor had told Vero about the risks, “neither Patricia Vero nor a reasonable person in her position would have elected to go forward,” the suit said.

Vero’s lawyer, Thomas E. Kanwit, said Barnett “minimized the risks of the surgery and exaggerated both her professional experience and skill.”

Barnett, a 1979 Harvard Medical School graduate, said she had performed 80 to 100 tummy tucks, and the one she performed on Vero was “one of the most beautiful jobs I have ever done.”.

“I’m a careful and good doctor with excellent training and I have always done my duty,” she said.

Florida state records showed that three claims had been paid as a result of professional liability claims filed against Barnett in the 1990s. Barnett defended the claims, saying the average plastic surgeon was sued every three years.

AP-ES-11-27-03 0425EST