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Recovering Compensation After Unnecessary Heart Surgeries

While many patients put their trust in cardiologists and heart surgeons, the favor is not always returned. Specialists in treating heart conditions are as prone to the temptations of prescribing unnecessary cardiac procedures as other physicians who are accused of performing unnecessary surgeries.

Some of the issues are obvious, including blatant conflicts of interest related to surgical center ownership or relationships with medical device makers. Even the fee-for-service model that specialists often work under will pay a cardiac physician substantially more to perform surgery than to treat your condition more conservatively.

At Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., our attorneys have more than 110 combined years of legal experience. Much of that time has been spent fighting for plaintiffs in complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Our compassion for our clients is balanced by our team approach to handling cases and our care for enhancing the well-being of our community.

We are ready to represent your medical malpractice case that involves an unnecessary heart procedure such as:

  • Pacemaker and/or defibrillator implantation
  • Heart stent placement
  • Coronary bypass surgery
  • Diagnostic angiograms
  • Angioplasties

What Qualifies As ‘Unnecessary’ When It Comes To Heart Operations?

No surgical procedure is without risk. Even if a heart operation goes well, complications can occur, including internal bleeding, blood clots and life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities. Post-surgical infections are also a danger.

In a medical malpractice lawsuit, plaintiffs must demonstrate that the heart surgeon in question was negligent in their duty to the patient. This can mean that more conservative (and less risky) courses of treatment were pushed aside in favor of the surgery, even if the chances of improving your heart’s health were the same.

The team at Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., can represent your case before the state medical board as well as in civil court. Our attorneys will review the evidence, coordinate expert witnesses to testify on your behalf and respond to inquiries from the defense team. You can focus on caring for your health.

Our record of success in this area of medical malpractice was elevated recently by a late 2020 settlement for 262 patients who sued Dr. Arvind Gandhi, Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana and the Community Hospital of Munster for unnecessary cardiac surgeries and device implantations, including the placing of stents, defibrillators and pacemakers. Partnering in the suit with the attorneys of Cohen & Malad P.C., we were able to recover $66.5 million for the plaintiffs. The case was covered by several major publications including The New York Times, Cardiovascular Business, The Indiana Lawyer, Indiana Business Journal and The Times of Northwest Indiana.

Unnecessary Heart Procedure Investigation

We are also working on a case against Indiana cardiologist Dr. Edward Harlamert. We are representing John Pflum, a victim of Dr. Harlamert. A medical expert we work with determined that several of the 48 stents in Mr. Pflum’s heart are entirely unnecessary.

Have Your Claim Evaluated By Our Legal Team

If an unnecessary heart surgery has threatened your health and your future, do not put off your pursuit of accountability any longer. Our attorneys can evaluate your case. To schedule a no-obligation, no-cost introductory appointment, call our office in Merrillville at 219-733-8633 or send us an email.