How an Interventional Radiologist May Be Responsible for Your Injury

A radiologist is a specialist whose primary role in a patient’s care is to administer and read diagnostic scans like CT’s, MRI’s and X-Rays.

Their advice is usually sought to help interpret these scans so that the attending physician can make a diagnosis and begin a plan of treatment. An interventional radiologist is able to do all of that, but has also extended his studies so that he may help treat a condition with minimally invasive surgery using imagery as his guide. Many of these procedures are high risk and errors could lead to serious complications. If you were injured during an image guided procedure you should speak with a Missouri medical malpractice attorney. If the radiologist who performed the procedure did not follow medical protocol you could be eligible to receive compensation for your injury.

The Benefits of Non-invasive Surgery

The lure of non-invasive surgery to a patient is the relatively short recovery time and smaller incisions. Instead of a surgeon making a large incision at the site, an interventional radiologist uses a series of small incisions and imagery to treat the ailment. It has now become commonplace for an interventional radiologist to perform complicated non-invasive procedures like angiography or balloon angioplasty.

The Risks of Non-invasive Surgery

The biggest risk stemming from these types of non-invasive procedures is damage to the blood vessels. If the interventional radiologist fails to recognize his error and correct it, or call a surgeon in for help, he could be held liable for the injury. While it is accepted that mistakes can be made, not recognizing or responding to the error is medical negligence. A Missouri medical malpractice attorney will be able to determine if that is the case by reviewing medical records.

The Failure to Ask For Help

Some spinal injuries can also benefit from non-invasive surgeries. Some patients who suffer from spinal fractures can benefit from injections of supportive cement into the vertebrae to strengthen them. A St. Louis man was left paralyzed after one of these procedures when the interventional radiologist accidentally injected the cement into the veins surrounding the spine as well as an excess around the cord. A mistake of course, but the negligence was found to be the radiologist’s two hour hesitation in calling in the expertise of a neurosurgeon. Had he reported his error earlier, the patient would not be a paraplegic. The hospital and radiologist had no choice but to settle the claim for $350,000 in past medical bills, plus an additional $6.8 million for future medical care.

Just like with any medical malpractice case, the plaintiff needs a qualifying expert to explain how the medical professional strayed from the standard of care. In this case, it was not the mistake of placing the cement into the wrong area, it was the failure to ask for help sooner.

Have Your Case Reviewed

If a recent non-invasive surgery has left you feeling worse than before, or if you suffered from inexplicable complications, ask Zevan and Davidson Law Firm to review your case. If there is proof of medical negligence than we will fight alongside you to make sure you receive compensation for it.

Call Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

Photo credit: Akira Ohgaki