Are early vascular surgery and medical malpractice connected?

Atherectomy is a surgical procedure doctors in Delaware and across the country recommend as treatment for patients with vascular disease. Vascular disease is a broad term referring to adverse conditions of the circulatory system or blood vessels. There appears to be cause for concern, however, regarding a possible link between medical malpractice and premature vascular surgeries.

If your primary care physician or a specialist recommends that you undergo an atherectomy, it is wise to get a second opinion. Sadly, a recent medical analysis shows that as many as 30,000 patients with analyzed conditions may have undergone vascular surgeries they did not need. If a doctor abuses authority by recommending unnecessary surgery, a patient may have grounds for filing a medical malpractice claim.

You’re at risk for severe complications if you undergo unnecessary atherectomy

The year-long analysis showed that many members of the elderly population have had atherectomy surgery under questionable circumstances, meaning that they, perhaps, did not need the surgery. Severe complications have arisen in many cases, including the loss of a limb. Many of these surgeries took place at outpatient vascular centers.

Is it medical malpractice to recommend surgery to resolve claudication?

If you have vascular disease, one of the first symptoms you might notice is a condition called “claudication.” In non-specialists’s terms, it means you feel pain or discomfort in one or both legs while walking. Atherectomy is not typically necessary at this point because medication and exercise are often able to resolve the issue. In thousands of cases analyzed, doctors recommended surgery to fix claudication.

If the only symptom you have experienced is claudication, you are most likely in the beginning phase of vascular disease. It is an excellent idea to question why surgery is the recommendation if a doctor tells you to schedule an atherectomy. Ensure you are comfortable with the explanation provided to avoid unnecessary surgery that can put your health at further risk.

Investigating medical malpractice suspicions

Understandably, a doctor who has received tens of millions of dollars in payouts may flag as a concern if a large percentage of their patients were recommended for vascular surgery prematurely or unnecessarily. As a Delaware medical facility patient, you are not responsible for ensuring your doctor does their job right. You can reasonably expect your medical team to act per the industry’s stringent protocol and accepted safety standards.

Suppose you have suffered an injury due to unnecessary vascular surgery or other issues that suggest medical malpractice. In that case, you can enlist support to help gather evidence and navigate the civil justice system to seek financial recovery for your losses.