Dangers of Unneeded Angioplasty Procedures

Angioplasty is not without risk, and when the procedure is performed unnecessarily, the patient is exposed to danger without corresponding benefit. Complications may include:

• Arterial tears or perforations

• Blood clots that can trigger stroke or heart attack

• Infections at the catheter site

• Excessive bleeding and internal injury

• Allergic reactions to imaging dye

• Psychological trauma from enduring an invasive surgery

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