(CNN) A Virginia doctor has been arrested after he was accused of performing hysterectomies and other unnecessary medical procedures on patients without their consent, according to a federal affidavit.

The affidavit said an investigation into Javaid Perwaiz , 69, was launched in September 2018 after the FBI received a tip from a hospital employee that the doctor may be performing unnecessary surgeries on patients.

According to the affidavit, one patient was told by Perwaiz in 2012 that pre-cancerous cells had been detected during an exam and that a hysterectomy would be the best course of action. The patient wanted a less invasive procedure and thought that they had agreed on a laparoscopic surgery to remove her ovaries. Instead, when she woke up from surgery, she found out Perwaiz had performed a total abdominal hysterectomy and had perforated her bladder in the process, which caused her to develop sepsis and be hospitalized for six days, the affidavit said.

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman's uterus, which is where a fetus grows when a woman is pregnant. Sometimes the cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes are also removed. Hysterectomies are very common, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which says that about 33% of women in the United States have had one by age 60.

The doctor faces charges of health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters, according to the affidavit. He is being held without bail until his detention hearing later this week.

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