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UNNECESSARY ANGIOPLASTY

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Unnecessary Angioplasty Surgery Lawsuits

An angioplasty should be performed safely every time, seeing as it is one of the most common medical procedures of the last 50 years. However, surgical errors, unnecessary coronary stent procedures and angioplasty malpractice occur with some regularity. Medical malpractice lawsuits are likely to follow medical mistakes, and plaintiffs can seek rightful compensation.

Doctors have insisted for many years that patient can reduce the risk of heart attacks by undergoing cardiac surgeries, including angioplasty procedures. Angioplasty surgery involves balloons, wires and stents, used to open blocked arteries. But there is evidence and medical reports that suggest many doctors perform coronary stenting procedures even when it may not benefit the patient.

Angioplasty malpractice cases often include unnecessary cardiac stents, punctured arteries, embolisms, defective medical devices, and other surgical errors. Many patients listen to professional medical advice, then it turns out they have an unnecessary invasive surgical procedure all because the doctor may have received kickbacks from medical companies or they failed to try other medical options.

Joe Lyon is a Medical Malpractice Attorney reviewing cardiac injury cases and angioplasty malpractice lawsuits for plaintiffs nationwide.

Unnecessary Angioplasty Lawsuits

Angioplasty procedures may be lucrative procedures for hospitals and cardiologists, and thus consumer safety attorneys are investigating many operations that are medically unnecessary. A doctor may diagnose a blockage in the coronary artery in a patient, but many patients do not have symptoms, and the benefits of angioplasty do not always outweigh the risks.

Unnecessary medical procedures can constitute medical malpractice, and the doctor may be held accountable for any injury that results. A recent study on bypass cardiac surgery and heart stents shows that thousands of patients may undergo surgery that may not be warranted.

The study found that patients who received drug therapy instead of an operation fared about as well as those who received stents or bypass surgery. That included patients with severely blocked coronary arteries and those with serious chest pain.

Angioplasty Malpractice

This is not new information that challenges the medical questions and safety involving coronary stents. Previous studies have not been 100 percent conclusive on the safety or added benefits of angioplasty procedures. It is undeniable, though, that surgical operations include certain risks for patients. If doctors fail to try other ways to treat a patient before surgery, the case may be reviews by a medical malpractice attorney.

There is no doubt that angioplasty can save lives during a heart attack, but for other patients it may be overkill. There may be many complications of a coronary procedure, including:

  • Blood clotting
  • Myocardial infarctions (heart attack)
  • Embolism
  • Stroke
  • Arrhythmia
  • Coronary artery damage
  • Anesthesia Errors
  • Internal bleeding
  • Reoccurring stenosis

Balloon Angioplasty Errors

Balloon angioplasty is a medical procedure used to treat angina, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks. Balloon angioplasties are routine procedures though they still present some risk to patients.

During cardiac catheterization surgery, the coronary artery is opened to increase blood flow to the heart. Then a small balloon at the tip of the catheter is inserted near the blocked artery. The balloon is inflated, the blockage is compressed against artery walls and the blood vessel is widened to increase cardiac blood flow.

Balloon angioplasty is often performed in combination with a heart stenting procedure, using a metal mesh tube that provides arterial support. The balloon is removed, and the stent stays in place. For patients, there is always a risk of restenosis. Angioplasty can also be performed in the iliac artery, the femoral artery, and the tibial and peroneal arteries.

Surgical Error & Medical Negligence Lawsuits

Most surgical outcomes are successful, but many others result in injury that may require a medical malpractice claim. A hospital and doctor may be held responsible if they fail to provide a basic standard of care or an injury results. Common angioplasty errors can include:

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A Voice for Those who have suffered 

Why are these cases important?

 When management or individuals fail to provide a sufficient level of care, victims may seek legal recourse and file suit against the negligent parties. Medical malpractice lawsuits improve the quality of healthcare by holding physicians and hospitals responsible when they fall below a professional standard of care. 

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Questions about Medical Malpractice
What is a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

Hospitals, medical staff, nurses and doctors are responsible for providing proper patient care. When management or individuals fail to provide a sufficient level of care, victims may seek legal recourse and file suit against the negligent parties.

Without medical malpractice laws, medical mistakes would go without consequence, patients would be uncompensated for preventable injuries, and medical providers would have less incentive to improve the medical system to prevent future injuries.

Despite the reports discussed above, frivolous claims brought by medical malpractice attorneys and runaway juries have been blamed as causing a medical crisis. There is no medical malpractice crisis, it is simply propaganda created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and large insurance companies to pollute the American jury pool and change the law in a manner that is favorable to them and adverse to the average American. And sadly, it has worked.

Currently, 90 percent of juries side with the physician over the patient at trial. As a result, insurance companies are bolder than ever and refuse at times to settle even the most meritorious of cases knowing that the chances of the patient finding a fair and impartial jury is extremely low, especially in more conservative parties of the country such as Hamilton County, Ohio.

What is a “Never Event” in Hospital Care ?

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 required that conditions be identified that (a) are costly and occur at high rates, (b) are assigned as cases to the Diagnosis-Related Group, and (c) could have ultimately been prevented with appropriate care. These hospital-acquired conditions occur as negligence on the part of hospital staff and often result in a multitude of medical malpractice lawsuits.

Conditions that meet the three requirements for identification:

What if a hospital makes me an offer directly?

Many hospitals and physicians are taking proactive approaches to resolve viable medical malpractice claims by approaching patients who do not have legal counsel. The “family meeting” presentation will include deterring patients from seeking legal counsel. This is a very concerning development in the course of medical liability and risk management.

We strongly advise patients not to engage in “family meeting” settlement negotiations without an experienced Cincinnati medical malpractice lawyer present. Hospitals and physicians have lawyers who are specialized in medical malpractice claims advising them on how to approach the case, and it is only fair that the patient is afforded the same benefit of qualified counsel.

The “family meeting” practice of settling hospital negligence cases without an attorney does not benefit the patient in most cases, but almost always benefits the negligent hospital.

Do not be deterred by a hospital representative implying that the case will be compromised if you seek counsel. While attorney fees will need to be paid, those costs should not be a deterrent. The Lyon Firm adopts a lower contingency fee structure and offers hourly rates for cases that can be resolved without litigation.

If the parties wish to resolve the matter, having qualified counsel on both sides is beneficial to the process. The goal should be a settlement where both parties are satisfied, not a case where the hospital pays substantially less than the fair value of the claim.

There are numerous issues that need to be considered before settling a medical malpractice case, and you should know what the fair value of the claim is before accepting a settlement.

The hospital knows the fair value having been involved in other cases. You as the patient should work with counsel who has successfully worked on other cases and can advise on the appropriate risk of future litigation and settlement value.

If a hospital is approaching you or a family member about a settlement without a Cincinnati Medical Malpractice lawyer, please call (800) 513-2403 for a free consultation.

Why hire the Lyon Firm?

Our Firm will help you find the answers.  The Firm has the experience, resources and dedication to take on difficult and emotional cases and help our clients obtain the justice for the wrong they have suffered. 

 Experience:  Joe Lyon is an experienced Cincinnati Medical Malpractice Lawyer. The Lyon Firm has 17 years of experience and success representing individuals and plaintiffs in all fifty states, and in a variety of complex civil litigation matters. Medical malpractice lawsuits can be complex and require industry experts to determine the root cause of an accident or injury. Mr. Lyon has worked with experts nationwide to assist individuals understand why an injury occurred and what can be done to improve their lives in the future. Some cases may go to a jury trial, though many others can be settled out of court.

Resources/Dedication: Mr. Lyon has worked with experts in the fields of accident reconstruction, biomechanics, epidemiology, metallurgy, pharmacology, toxicology, human factors, workplace safety, life care planning, economics, and virtually every medical discipline in successfully representing Plaintiffs across numerous areas of law. The Lyon Firm is dedicated to building the strongest cases possible for clients and their critical interests.

Results:  Mr. Lyon has obtained numerous seven and six figure results in personal injury,  automotive product liability, medical Negligence, construction accidents, and auto dealership negligence cases.  The cases have involved successfully litigating against some of  the largest companies in the world

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A recently published study titled, A New, Evidence-based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care, estimated that 210,000 hospital patients die each year from medical mistakes that could have been prevented.

This places medical malpractice as the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. Further, the Office of The Inspector General estimated 180,000 deaths per year are due to medical mistakes. And a Study from Journal of Patient Safety estimated that the number of preventable deaths is between 210,000 and 440,000.

Incredibly, the Wrong Site Surgery Project Study found that national incidence of wrong site surgeries, which includes wrong patient, wrong procedure, wrong site and wrong side surgeries, may be as high as 40 per week. 

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Our Victories

The Lyon Firm aggressively, professionally, and passionately advocates for injured individuals and families against companies due to a defective product or recalled product to obtain just compensation under the law. 

FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE BOWEL OBSTRUCTION

WRONGFUL DEATH

(Cincinnati, Ohio):  Confidential settlement for a family due to a wrongful death. An emergency room physician failed to recognize the common symptoms associated with bowel obstruction and prescribed a contraindicated medicine of GoLytley.  The patient died at home the day of discharge after taking the medication. The case against the emergency room physician was resolved by settlement following extensive discovery. The settlement was paid to the spouse and surviving adult children for the loss of their mother. While no amount of money could bring back their mother, the case provided answers and held the hospital accountable.

FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE BREAST CANCER

$910,000 Settlement.

(Cincinnati, Ohio):   Joe Lyon was second chair in a case involving the failure of a physician to promptly communicate a positive breast cancer result to a patient. As a result of the delay, the cancer progressed from in situ carcinoma to stage 3B with lymph node involvement. The treatment required mastectomy and radiation/ chemotherapy rather than a simple excision. The case settled after extensive discovery. The defense argued: “the patient should have called the physician.” The settlement provided recovery for suffering through a misdiagnosis and the loss of a spouse and a mother. While the settlement cannot bring this wonderful woman back, it helped her family move forward with life’s challenges and encouraged  future accountability.

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