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Stents and medical negligence
As we age, some Australians may experience some heart or vascular problems that require stenting.
Stenting is by far more frequently used in elderly patients or those with pre-existing conditions that affect the venous system.
Stents are usually made of a soft mesh and are shaped in a tube; they range in sizes and are more commonly known to be placed in arteries which help incompetent arteries carry blood away from the heart.
However, stents can also be placed in other arteries and veins around the body such as in iliac veins in the thighs or in other arteries or veins in the abdomen if they are “incompetent” or restricted, meaning that they are not moving enough blood.
Unfortunately, if not done properly, several things can go wrong during and after a stenting procedure.
What are the commonly seen mistakes in stenting?
- Misdiagnosis (a doctor informing a patient they have a condition that requires stenting when they actually don’t!)
- Insertion of the wrong end of the guide wire – causing perforation of the artery/vein
- Forgetting to administer blood thinners (anticoagulant/antiplatelet medication)
- Misplaced stents – stents placed in the wrong artery/vein
These mistakes can result in serious ongoing injury and disability including:
- Bleeding/blood clots
- Damage to the artery
- Requirement to take ongoing blood thinning mediation
- Migrating stents
- Stents breaking down
- Death
If you think your doctor has been negligent in performing your stenting procedure you should contact Garling & Co Lawyers for a free case assessment.
At Garling & Co we want to make the experience of making a medical negligence case as stress free as possible. We understand your claim may be of a sensitive and private in nature, for this reason we have both female and male lawyers available to represent you in your medical negligence case.
