Florida HCA Hospitals Performed Unnecessary Cardiac Work
Last Updated on January 11, 2022
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At A Glance
- This Alert Affects
- Patients who underwent a cardiac catheterization or coronary stent placement at a Florida hospital owned by HCA.
- Damages
- Patients who were misled into receiving a coronary catheterization or cardiac stent procedure are being unnecessarily put at risk for blood clots, heart attack, bypass surgery and other complications linked to these procedures.
- Company(ies)
- Hospitals and cardiac catheterization labs owned by Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)
- Additional Details
- Once a cardiac stent is in place, it will become permanently embedded as the cells over the artery wall will grow over the implant. It cannot be removed after implantation.
Patients who underwent a coronary catheterization or stent procedure at a Florida hospital owned by HCA may have legal recourse in light of a breaking New York Times article. It has been reported that some of these facilities performed unnecessary cardiac procedures to boost the hospital giant’s bottom line. These hospitals included Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, Lawnwood Medical Center and Cedar Medical Center which is no longer owned by the company. According to the article, Kendall Regional Medical Center and Palms West Hospital also administered “questionable treatment,” according to the Times citing an HCA internal review.
Did you or a loved one undergo a cardiac catheterization or stent placement in Florida? If your procedure was performed when it was not needed, you may be entitled to compensation.
HCA Knew About Unnecessary Cardiac Work
According to the New York Times, HCA discovered evidence dated between 2002 and late 2010 revealing that certain cardiologists practicing at some of its Florida facilities could not justify their procedures. Internal company reports revealed that in some instances the doctors made misleading statements to make it seem as if these procedures were necessary, the Times said. Reportedly, HCA did not alert patients, medical authorities, insurers or patients to its findings that unnecessary cardiac work was being carried out and some of the doctors accused of these practices are still working at HCA-owned hospitals. The Times further claimed that these problems were not limited to one or two doctors, and, unfortunately, this is not the first time a news story has reported that doctors and hospitals were performing unnecessary cardiac work for their own financial gain.
Risks of Overstenting
Patients who undergo stent placement without just reason are needlessly exposed to the risks of these procedures, which include:
- Bleeding at catheter insertion site
- Artery wall damage
- Heart attack
- Arrhythmia
- Blood clots
- Infection
In some cases, complications which occur during surgery may necessitate emergency bypass surgery. Furthermore, because the risk of blood clots continues after the procedure has been complete, patients may need to take expensive blood thinners, which carry their own risks and side effects.
Can I Take Legal Action?
Florida patients who suspect they needlessly underwent a coronary catheterization and cardiac stent may have a claim for damages. Our attorneys will review these patients’ angiograms and medical records alongside qualified cardiologists to determine whether they could have received other less expensive and less risky treatments. Potentially, those who were convinced into receiving an unneeded stent may be able to sue their doctor and/or hospital for medical bills and other damages.
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