Investigation into Unnecessary Procedures Causing Harm to Patients – Medical Malpractice Attorneys

According to the Times, the hospital is risking the health of essentially all their patients – including patients getting weight loss surgeries and patients waiting for non-life-threatening care.

Reportedly, non-life-threatening cases requiring urgent care, such as minor stab wounds, detached fingers, and broken bones, for example, often are delayed treatment sometimes for hours to prioritize the bariatric surgeries. This information was confirmed by multiple employees. In fact, employees also confirmed that at least two surgeons race to see who can complete the most surgeries per day.

In addition, many of the patients who are getting bariatric surgeries at the hospital are not good candidates, which poses a significant risk both during the operation and in the future. The weight loss surgery requires weeks of pre-op care (patients must be under a certain weight, have blood pressure within a specific range, etc.) and strict diets post-op. Even if poor candidates survive the surgery, they could experience other long-term harm like malnourishment, anemia, fatigue, low-blood sugar, cardiac arrest, and more.

Reportedly, doctors are quick to perform atherectomies, a vascular surgery, resulting in billions in reimbursements. Unfortunately, many of the patients getting these procedures may not need such an invasive surgery. According to a report published by ProPublica, around 200 doctors are responsible for about 200,000 atherectomies within just a five-year period. The procedure is used as treatment for severe vascular disease. Even though mild cases of vascular disease should be treated with exercise and medication, about a quarter of patients that had atherectomies had diagnoses of early-stage disease. This means that about 30,000 patients may have undergone unnecessary procedures.

The issue with atherectomies is that the surgery is very profitable, so doctors push for the surgeries to get a payout. Amiel Moshfegh, MD, in specific, is currently the doctor with the most reimbursements for this procedure in the country. The Los Angeles-based doctor has been reimbursed almost $46 million for over 7,000 procedures over the years. He reportedly travels to Bakersfield weekly to perform these procedures; his referrals come from podiatry offices. Although Moshfegh has not been shown to be officially associated with these offices, one of the offices shares a space with a vascular clinic that the doctor does marketing for (appears in their ads).

The patients undergoing these procedures can suffer complications, which can include arrhythmias, internal bleeding, damage to blood vessels, infections, and even heart attack. If you or a member of your family suffered harm because of an unnecessary procedure performed by Amiel Moshfegh, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. Contact an Amiel Moshfegh malpractice attorney as soon as possible to learn more about the legal options available to you.

In the two examples above, we can see that doctors and hospitals alike are quick to subject patients to procedures even though they may not be good candidates or do not need the procedure just yet because they only have an early diagnosis. In addition to putting these patients at risk of harm because of these unnecessary procedures, it is also important to note that other patients needing urgent care may face delayed treatment which also poses the risk of harm. Unfortunately, doctors and hospitals are prioritizing profitability over patient well-being.

Can I file a medical malpractice lawsuit? Yes – you could have the right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Whether you were harmed because you were subject to a weight loss surgery even though you did not meet the criteria to be a good patient or because your surgery was delayed to prioritize a “profitable” surgery at Bellevue Hospital or any other hospital in the country, you could sue. Similarly, if you were harmed because you were subjected to an unnecessary vascular surgery at the hands of Dr. Amiel Moshfegh or any other doctor in the country, you could sue.

Medical professionals owe their patients the highest duty of care. They must use the highest degree of skill while treating patients to ensure that patients are not at risk of suffering any harm. This obviously applies to all patients, including those being subjected to unnecessary procedures and those having to wait for their treatment because only profitable procedures are being prioritized.

For more information about your right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.

Yes – you could be entitled to receive compensation. You could receive compensation for some of the following:

• Medical costs
• Lost income
• Paina and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Legal fees

In the case of wrongful death, survivors could be awarded compensation for funeral and burial costs as well as loss of consortium, for example. Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, our medical malpractice attorneys are ready to fight for your rights and help you secure the highest recovery available for your claim. Whether we have to negotiate a settlement or take the claim to trial to reach a verdict, you can trust that your claim will be in the best hands possible.

If you were harmed by your doctor and are interested in pursuing a medical malpractice claim, consider the following recommendations:

• Take photos of all visible injuries
• Gather all relevant medical records (including any second opinions from a medical professional)
• Gather all records of lost pay
• Gather the names of all the nurses and doctors that treated you
• Gather all insurance records
• Seek legal assistance with a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible

People trust their doctors to recommend the medical procedures that are necessary to better their health. Unfortunately, many doctors have taken advantage of this trust to push surgeries that are not necessary with the end goal of increasing their own profits – no matter the risk that this represents for patients. If you are ready to fight for your rights, contact us today. Our medical malpractice lawyers here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group are ready to fight for your rights and help you recover the payout that you are owed.

Free Case Evaluations: we offer free consultations and free second opinions, which allow our medical malpractice experts to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. In other words, our experts will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. You will never have to worry about upfront costs to benefit from these legal services.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never have to pay upfront legal fees to speak to our lawyers. In addition, our team works on a strict contingency structure, so our clients will not be responsible for paying any legal costs if they do not win.

Contact us today to learn more about how our medical malpractice lawyers can help you with your claim.