Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog - Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

Yesterday, I wrote about a man whose heart was cooked while he was undergoing “routine” bypass surgery following a minor heart attack, following which he needed a heart transplant and significant medication. The jury decided that medical malpractice was only 0.01 % responsible for the man’s injury, but perhaps it was really much higher.

The question is: was the surgery even necessary? Charles Inlander, president of the consumer group, People’s Medical society, points out, “If coronary bypass surgery cost $500, you can bet doctors wouldn’t be doing so many of them.” However, since bypasses cost between $39,000 and $123,000, with the doctor earning $5,000 to $20,000, they have become a very common procedure. But are they really as necessary as some doctors say?

Although cases vary, for many people, there are far less invasive options available that can sometimes yield equally good results. In the case of a heart bypass, some people can achieve excellent results by making simple lifestyle changes, such as changing to a low-fat diet, increasing exercise, managing stress, and taking beta-blockers.

The argument is not that you should never have surgery, but you should always make sure you understand your options.

First, get a second opinion from a relevant specialist with different training, one not associated with the same hospital or practice as the first opinion. Then, make sure you ask these questions to both doctors:

· What are the risks of declining or postponing the surgery?

· Are there nonsurgical or less aggressive surgical options? How do the risks compare?

· How likely is it that this surgery will fail, the condition will recur, or that I will suffer complications of the surgery?

If you do this, hopefully you can avoid unnecessary surgeries and reduce your risk of suffering as a result of a surgical error. But if it’s too late, and you or a loved one has already suffered because of the negligence of a doctor or surgeon, contact the experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Pomerantz, Perlberger, and Lewis, LLP today for a free initial consultation.