This is horrifying.
Already being discussed on an earlier thread here …
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Well, it’s an article that’s presented that way by design. In this case, with a human interest story to gussy it up even more.
The first iteration of this article didn’t include the actual story together with names but, as I mentioned in one of the responses, if these revascularization procedures were as inevitably bad as they’re made to appear in both articles and, if doctors are performing them repeatedly and unnecessarily on vulnerable patients with heaps of other options, someone would notice. As apparently happened in the included story.
Raises more questions than answers for me, mind. Is this account totally accurate, for one? Of course, it’s not impossible that the treating cardiologist was a total incompetent and shouldn’t have a license for clipping toe nails. That aside, the patient sounds like someone with severe enough vascular disease that some form of intervention was necessary (unlike my mum who wasn’t quite there and was able to walk it off)…all of which carry some degree of risk.
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There was something more to the discussed doctor in his number of people losing limbs. That is the alarming thing. Then the sort of he is not alone.
Indeed…and I did suggest the possibility of professional incompetence. Here’s another scenario: that it was the wrong treatment option to embark on in the first place…or the right treatment but at the wrong time.
Now, this is an observation that’s based totally on the wisdom of hindsight and the confidence that comes from having ZERO clinical insight or experience in any of the revascularization procedures out there (and long may I remain in ignorance) but what if that initial referral should have been to the orthopedic surgeons for amputation in the first place? Chop the leg of right away and be done…no messing around trying to save it. Since the patient already had obvious signs of a badly compromised circulation, maybe a revascularization procedure was unlikely to work from the start…a bit like expecting a simple lumpectomy for breast cancer with widespread metastases, or a liver transplant when an hepatocellular carcinoma has spread beyond the confines of the liver.
Obviously, these alternative explanations aren’t likely to be offered for discussion by the journalists writing this article but I think the one theyve glommed onto…greedy doctors etc enriching themselves at a vulnerable patient’s expense is the least likely. Of course, it can be made to seem that way given the apparent 18 re-bores in as many months…but does anyone seriously believe that insurance companies or Medicare pay overandoverandover again for the same procedure, seeing as we’re frequently reading how it’s like getting blood from a stone to get the buggers to cough up in the first place!?!
A question that occurs to me, though, is how come the patient got to this very late stage of intervention, given the non invasive treatments available for primary prevention? What warning signs, symptoms and potential Red Flags were ignored on the way there … and by whom?
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The ERs and hospital doctors would not be talking to the licensing board. That takes a good bit to get that far. Again the article more or less was saying he was not alone.
The issue is the equipment makers were getting knocked as well. Not good. I get the sources are loose but still not good. Scary.
I knew a woman who had the veins removed from her legs. The Vein Centers of American? recommended it. My mother’s quip, “why not? They have to go”! In other words craziness quite obviously.