According to a recent investigative report by CBS, angioplasty is one of the most common medical procedures in the United States. The American Heart Association's Heart Disease and Stroke states that in 2006 as many as 1,314,000 angioplasties were conducted in the United States.
Angioplasty is a medical procedure where the medical practitioner places a small balloon at the location of the clogged blood vessel. The balloon is inflated and widens the obstructed blood vessel, and a stent is placed to prevent re-narrowing of the vessel. Typically, this procedure is considered to be safe, with only about one in 200 patients dying after having non-emergency angioplasty. Still, there is now a growing concern that angioplasties are conducted in unsafe situations and that too many angioplasties are being performed.
Safety Procedures for Angioplasties
Three well-known and respected cardiology organizations, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, caution that non-emergency angioplasties should be conducted only when there is a cardiac surgical support at the medical facility. However, smaller-sized hospitals have been performing non-emergency angioplasty without having on-site surgical support to act as back-up in the event something goes awry.
Instance of Possible Medical Malpractice
According to CBS's report, in 2006 Pearl Sullivan went to Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey for shortness of breath. Later on, the hospital's medical staff performed elective angioplasty on her, but complications arose and Sullivan died. Details of the procedure were not disclosed in the report, but Sullivan's family sued the hospital claiming the decedent did not understand the consent form she signed, which stated that on-site cardiac surgical back-up would not be present for the procedure.
Angioplasty is a Lucrative Business
Smaller hospitals are conducting angioplasties because they are trying to remain competitive, particularly when larger hospitals nearby are providing more medical services. Further, the procedure increases the financial margins for smaller hospitals, since on average the procedure costs $16,000 and as a whole, the angioplasty field brings in 21 billion dollars annually.
As a result of this financial potential and new recent technological advances, such as drug-coated stents, experts have remarked that too many angioplasties are being performed. In the past decade, the number of angioplasties being performed has tripled. One physician has also stated that 40 percent of the procedures performed are probably unnecessary. In addition, some studies have shown that medication or non-invasive methods, such as exercise, can be effective alternatives to angioplasty for individuals who are not at high risk of a heart attack.
Informed Consent
When a medical professional obtains a patient's consent, the consent must be informed consent. The physician must fully inform the patient as to the medical condition and the procedure that is about to be performed. In general, the physician should advise the patient of the following:
- The diagnosis
- Purpose of the procedure or treatment
- Nature of the procedure or treatment
- Available alternatives to the procedure or treatment
- Risks and benefits of the procedure or treatment
- Risks of foregoing the procedure or treatment
Patients should also be aware that consenting to a treatment does not absolve the medical practitioner of liability for any procedure that is negligently or incorrectly performed. The physician must exercise an appropriate level of care when performing the procedure or treatment.
Medical Malpractice Representation from Paulsen & Armitage
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