Failed Balloon Angioplasty Allegedly Facilitated Patient Death

This lawsuit concerns a middle-aged mother who suffered an acute myocardial infusion after experiencing a sharp deprivation of circulating blood in her body. She was quickly taken to the operating room, where a surgeon performed a balloon angioplasty through the patient’s skin in an attempt to reopen her blocked artery. The surgeon also implanted a metal stent in her artery in order to scaffold the vessel, and the hospital approved her for discharge the very same day. However, she suffered a second and fatal heart attack only three days later, and an autopsy revealed that the stented artery had only been 5% open at the time of death.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Do you routinely treat patients similar to the one described in the case?

2. Have you ever had a patient develop the same outcome?

Expert Witness Response E-017257

I am a fellowship trained interventional cardiologist at one of the nation's top institutions. I routinely treat patients similar to the one in this case, and can speak to the proper steps and protocols required for a percutaneous balloon angioplasty with stent placement. I am able to review the records on behalf of the plaintiff and opine on my findings.