Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: NJ ..
Hi...in July 2008 my doctor thought i had heart attack (severe chest pains)he referred me to a cardiologist.
The cardiologist said that I needed a LAD stent in heart..had stent inserted... while in hosp.(2nd day) I was informed by nurse that i was laid-off from job(car sales mgr.) and my med. ins. was terminated.
Before stent i had no trouble walking and no other heart probs......since stent i have severe pain in right leg/foot..can'twalk for more than 5 min., awakened every hour or so with severe pain while sleeping and need to get-up, hang leg off bed or walk to improve circulation.
I can't work..have not worked since stent, am losing house, defaulting on mortgage, no med. ins....just had arterial doppler done and indicated severe prob. in right leg..only 40% circulation,limb-threatening.
The vascular surgeon told me today (6/04/09) that it appears there was was narrowing of arteries and vascular probs. arising from the femoral incision (can't even cross my legs with the pain at the incision site)...i now need an angiogram and will need further surgery (probable leg by-pass).
I still have no ins.. my previous dr.s would not follow-up and won't see me due to lack of ins..without money or ins. it appears i am drek--nothing.
IS ANYONE LIABLE in this instance???
I can't work, haven't been able to work since stent, am losing my home, having much marital discord, complete loss of income, only on SSD...
IS THERE ANY RECOURSE????
IS THER ANY MALPRACTICE????
thank you
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
When you have seen doctors for follow-up care and complained about the symptoms, what did they suggest as possible cause and possible treatment?
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
hi mr. knowitall....i was just seen by vascular surgeon and i need to go back in hosp. for angiogram and probable leg bypass...the arterial doppler showed only 40% circulation in leg and "severe limb-threatening atherosclerotic disease" in leg...all since stent....surgeon said he needs angiogram to discern accurate condition but definitely a narrowing of arteries and probs. following stent..
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
The stent was necessitated by artherosclerosis in the first place, wasn't it? The stent keeps the artery open where it's installed, but it doesn't make the artherosclerosis go away in other blood vessels.
The fact that the symptoms arose afterward does not, of itself, mean that there was a problem with either the decision to install a stent or the surgery to install the stent. From what you've told us so far, this could be a natural progression of your atherosclerosis.
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
thank you....but could it be a 'natural progression': when i went in hospital i was walking without any problem...and when i left i could no longer walk without significant, extreme pain, not even sleep due to leg/foot pain..???? thank you
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
Was the stent placed through an incision in the right groin (I am quite sure it was)? If so, the right femoral artery may have been compromised during the procedure. this MAY be due to negligence. The arteriogram of the right leg will tell the story. If the blockage is at the site of the incision for the stent placement, and there is no other vascular disease down into the leg, then the cause is almost certainly from the stent procedure. A suture may have been placed through the femoral artery, or a pseudoaneurysm developed, or the artery may have been damaged leading to scar tissue. Your complication is not common however.
Get the arteriogram and any needed additional surgery ASAP as once the blood flow is restored, the symptoms should go away (assuming the problem is this one localized area). Then see a medical malpractice attorney.
Were you laid off due to your illness? If so this may be against the law (Americans with Disabilities Act). Had you been there more than 12 months? Were you eligible for family medical leave? Your health insurance cannot be discontinued without your employer providing you with the information and opportunity to apply for COBRA insurance. Look into these issues.
Also, your previous physicians CANNOT refuse to treat you for any complications from the original procedure, regardless of your ability to pay. To refuse this treatment is malpractice. If your current vascular problems are the result of the original stent procedure (and they likely are), then you already have a valid claim for medical malpractice simply based on their refusal to treat/evaluate you post-stent. After you have the arteriogram you will have a much better picture regarding the malpractice claim. Get an attorney! (Med Mal attornies represent you for free and collect a percentage of the damages collected...you lose you do not pay anything)
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
hi..i just spoke to a dr. earlie francis of law firm, kline-specter in pennsylvania....i am in nj...he said since i already had the atherosclerosis in the leg it would be difficult to prove the hospital malpractice: my point is that i think in nj that malpractice covers negligence and even if the hospital is not responsible, the dr.'s that originally sent me, the internist and the cardiologist, should have followed up as well as the hospital, whether i had insurance or not. the lawyer from kline specter, earlie francis, did not know what type of lawyer in nj that i should seek for any damages from malpractice or ethics violations for these 2 dr.'s. Does anyone know the type of lawyer in nj that i would seek for this medical negligence or breach of medical ethics, if that is indeed the case...any and all help and/or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. thank you.
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
Medical Malpractice? 7-4-09
In July of 2008 I had a stent (LAD) placed due to alleged heart attack. Before this I never had a problem with my legs or walking. On the second day of hospitalization I was informed by the nurses that I was laid-off I my medical insurance was terminated.
My Dr. saw me a few more times and the cardiologist saw me once for follow-up: he said I needed hospital tests and someone had to pay for them and told me to apply for charity care which I finally secured in March of 2009( months to get approval for charity care!). Since I had no medical coverage no one wanted to see me for follow-up even though I could not walk- my right leg/foot was in constant and . at times, unbearable pain. The Dr. said it would get better in time. The pain was in the groin area – near femoral incision- and in lower right leg and foot.
This pain was first felt after stent when a male nurse was exerting an inordinate amount of pressure on the femoral puncture site. I was actually screaming – asked for the Dr. – to no avail - and the male nurse continued with this extreme pressure for-as he said-45 minutes. This was the first time that my foot was in excruciating pain.
After months-no Dr.s would see me without medical insurance and no way of paying I could not work, was collecting disability, and losing our home- I had applied for charity care at 3 hospitals (takes forever for approval) I went for O/P care even though my charity care was not approved in May of 2009.
The cardiologist could not get pulse in my foot and referred me for ‘arterial doppler’. The test indicated that I had only 40% circulation in foot and “extreme limb-threatening atherosclerosis-stenosis” They told me the only way to get care would be to go thru the E.R
The consulting vascular surgeon-whom I still can’t believe is doing this without medical insurance – performed an angiogram on 7/2/09 and told me he would need to perform an endarterectomy in the groin/femoral area.
The Dr. stated that, he , as of yet, could not determine the cause-could be due to femoral incision/puncture-but artery is just about completely blocked in groin/thigh area but the remainder of the blood vessel was “perfect”. He said he would know more after the procedure but it certainly could be due to the femoral puncture/treatment.
I never had a problem with leg/foot prior to stent: If someone would have given me ‘arterial doppler’ after stent-they would have seen the condition and been able to rectify.
Is it possible-that an inordinate amount of pressure applied continuously for 45min. to the femoral/groin area could result in this blockage? I can’t seem to get a straight answer. The surgeon said a severe narrowing of the artery(in an otherwise “perfect” blood vessel) –and they used the ‘lower’(?) femoral-he said ‘we use the ‘upper’(?) or other- I don’t understand this.
Is anyone liable? The hospital, the surgeon, the male nurse, my Dr., the cardiologist? Is this negligence –therefore malpractice?
I have suffered severe physical pain, am losing our home, not able to work, severe psychological trauma and marital discord- all due to this.
Can anyone please HELP-comment-advise?
Thank you
Arthur
Re: Pain and Problems After Cardiac Stent
You need to have the surgery/procedure done & then take copies of all your medical records to a medical malpractice attorney for review for possible negligence/malpractice.