St. John Medical Center in Cleveland is reviewing stent work performed by one of its former physicians, who may have inserted unnecessary devices in more than 23 patients over the past two years, according to a Plain Dealer report.
An outside expert has reviewed 30 of the physician's cases, finding 23 of the stent placements to be unnecessary from 2009 through February of this year. The hospital has mailed letters to those patients, apologizing and offering to pay for follow-up visits for each patient with a cardiologist of his/her choice.
The hospital, which is jointly owned by Cleveland-based Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals, is not naming the male physician in question. He no longer practices at St. John but still practices at Southwest General Hospital in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Southwest has initiated a review of the physician's cases but has not found evidence of improper care, according to the report.
St. John's was alerted of the stenting issues in February. Staff members from the cardiac catherization lab went to leaders of the cardiology department, claiming the physician in question was not performing stent placements the same way other physicians performed them.
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An outside expert has reviewed 30 of the physician's cases, finding 23 of the stent placements to be unnecessary from 2009 through February of this year. The hospital has mailed letters to those patients, apologizing and offering to pay for follow-up visits for each patient with a cardiologist of his/her choice.
The hospital, which is jointly owned by Cleveland-based Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals, is not naming the male physician in question. He no longer practices at St. John but still practices at Southwest General Hospital in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Southwest has initiated a review of the physician's cases but has not found evidence of improper care, according to the report.
St. John's was alerted of the stenting issues in February. Staff members from the cardiac catherization lab went to leaders of the cardiology department, claiming the physician in question was not performing stent placements the same way other physicians performed them.
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