The American Medical Association recommends that every patient should seek a second party independent opinion prior to undergoing any surgical procedure, says medical malpractice attorney Keith T. Belt.
Dr. John Chung-Yee Wang (Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD), a member of the committee tasked with stopping improper stenting in Maryland, is accused of improper stenting in his own practice. Wang is part of the Technical Advisory Group on Oversight of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Services, a group of experts tasked by the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to develop recommendations for legislative changes that would improve oversight of coronary intervention labs in the state.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Wang, Dr. Mark Midei, and Dr. Kourosh Mastali wrongfully stented patient John Bowers in 2005 and 2006, when the three interventionalists were partners in MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Associates, a practice that has since disbanded. Also charged that Wang overstated the extent of coronary disease in patient Lorie Skillman to justify implanting a stent.
As reported by heartwire, the Maryland Medical Board revoked Midei’s medical license after it determined he repeatedly violated the Medical Practice Act by implanting hundreds of unneeded stents while working at St Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD. Midei is one of several high-profile cases of alleged over stenting in recent years.
Use and misuse of stents, as well as pacemakers/ICDs, have emerged as some of the biggest cardiology stories of 2011. One study suggested that 11.2% of half a million PCI cases in the US were of uncertain “appropriateness” and 4.1% were inappropriate—numbers that rose to 38% and 11.6%, respectively, among the non-acute cases in the analysis (29% of the PCIs performed). Another study of over 100 000 ICD implants over a three-year period found that roughly one-quarter of patients who had devices implanted did not meet guideline-recommend criteria for receiving them.
Consult the Alabama Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. Today
If you or a loved one were injured due to medical negligence or improper medical practices, call the medical malpractice attorneys from Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. at (205) 933-1500 or use our online form. We offer a case evaluation free of charge and are ready to help you obtain full compensation for your losses. With offices in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery, our attorneys will quickly travel to investigate your case.
