A spine surgeon who practices in Paramus and Wyckoff has agreed to give up his license temporarily following allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with two of his patients.

Dr. Louis G. Quartararo must receive an inpatient "psychosexual evaluation” and treatment, under terms of the order he signed with the state Board of Medical Examiners on March 22. The treatment is to be provided through the professional assistance program affiliated with the board.

Quartararo operates primarily at two ambulatory surgery centers: the New Jersey Spine Institute on Century Road in Paramus and the International Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery on Goffle Road in Wyckoff. Many of his patients were injured in car accidents.

He is alleged to have “exchanged text messages, images, videos and audio files of an intimate sexual nature” that were not related to legitimate medical treatment with a female patient between October 2011 and May 2016.

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He is also alleged to have had an inappropriate sexual relationship with another female patient he treated for a year ending last month, according to the order.

These allegations, “if proven, would palpably demonstrate a clear and imminent danger to the public,” the order said.

Quartararo is barred from entering his office during business hours or at any time patients are present, under the terms of the order. He cannot provide medical care or have any contact with patients during the suspension of his license, which took effect on April 5.

The 51-year-old physician was first licensed in New Jersey in 2000 and is board certified in orthopedic surgery. The state practitioner profile shows he settled one malpractice case last year for $150,000 – an average number of payments for the specialty of orthopedics.

Quartararo also agreed to the suspension of his license in New York State. In that order, he listed his hospital affiliations as Hackensack University Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, and Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, with no facilities in New York.

Quartararo did not admit wrongdoing by signing the two orders. The New Jersey licensing board can lift or modify the order, or pursue further disciplinary action in the future.