Unnecessary Cardiac Catheterization, Angiogram, or Stenting Medical Malpractice Lawyers Indiana
Unnecessary medical procedures and surgeries place patients at risk. Unnecessary surgery can cause serious personal injury including death. It can also cost patients and insurance providers billions of dollars every year in claims that were not medically necessary. Patients trust physicians, surgeons, and healthcare providers to prescribe procedures that are medically necessary to treat conditions and illnesses. One study by the Public Library of Science found that 70 percent of respondents to a survey of physicians believed that physicians were more likely to perform unnecessary procedures when they profit from them.
When doctors put profits ahead of patient health, the consequences can be serious. Some experts indicate that as many as 30,000 deaths occur each year in the United States due to overly aggressive medical care that includes unnecessary procedures and surgery.
Purpose of cardiac catheterization, angiogram, and stenting
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure that involves the insertion of a long thin tube into an artery or vein that leads to your heart. This procedure can examine how well your heart is functioning.
An angiogram is a test that involves the cardiac catheterization, contrast dye, and an X-ray. The doctor will inject the contrast dye agent through the catheter and then use X-ray imaging to view the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
Cardiac stents are medical devices that are inserted to restore blood flow throughout the body. These devices are essentially small mesh tubes made of stainless steel or other metal that are permanently placed in blood vessels to keep passageways open.
Each of these procedures carries a specific level of risk for the patient and should not be prescribed by a doctor unless medically necessary.
Summary of unnecessary cardiac catheterization, angiogram, stenting claims
An investigation revealed that a cardiology group performed hundreds of left heart catheterizations, cardiac angiograms, and arterial stenting in patients who did not need them. The cardiologists ignored nationally accepted guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology which require specific indications for performance of these procedures. For example, stenting is only appropriate for arterial blockages of greater than 50% or 70% (depending on the location of the artery). The cardiologists repeatedly misstated patient symptoms and the size of patients’ blockages in order to justify procedures which they did not need.
Medical malpractice lawsuits for unnecessary cardiac catheterization, angiogram, and stents
If you or someone you know underwent unnecessary cardiac catheterization, angiogram, or stenting procedures, contact us. Our medical malpractice lawyers have experience litigating claims against Indiana doctors and hospitals on behalf of patients who were seriously injured as a result of unnecessary surgeries and procedures. We will provide you with a free case evaluation and advise you of your legal rights and options.
