arthurrd
07-04-2009, 02:35 PM
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
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