Crescent-News.com - Dr. Peter Gott: Patient angered by unnecessary heart surgery

DEAR DR. GOTT: I injured my shoulder six years ago while doing yard work. My doctor indicated I could no longer do any heavy lifting because of the injury. This was difficult for me to accept, as I was accustomed to providing for my family by working on heavy equipment at a local lumber mill. I took his word on the severity of the case and months later, against my wishes, ended up on disability.

At his suggestion, I saw a cardiologist at the hospital, who indicated I had a life-threatening heart condition that would require triple-bypass surgery. Talk about a shock! Here I thought I was a healthy person with a bad shoulder only to find I had heart trouble. Well, I took him at his word, had the bypass procedure and recovered uneventfully.

You can imagine my surprise three years later when I read in my local newspaper that the hospital where the surgery was done paid more than $500 million to settle claims billed to Medicare for performing unnecessary surgical procedures on its patients. What is happening in the medical profession today? While I can't blame my primary care doctor for having me see the cardiologist, I certainly feel cheated and abused by the specialist that put me through unnecessary surgery for the express purpose of financial profit.

DEAR READER: I am a bit confused trying to determine why your primary care physician referred you to a cardiologist without good cause. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I can only conclude he had good cause.

Unfortunately, people are extremely vulnerable where healthcare issues are involved. They trust their family physician and the specialists to whom they are referred. For a cardiologist to put you through a presumed unnecessary surgical procedure is completely beyond my comprehension. Without knowing the full story, I cannot come down so hard on him as to suggest you bring the case before your state medical board, since there may have been justification for the surgery. Make an appointment to sit down with both your personal physician and the cardiologist to recieve an understandable explanation. If you have any fears or questions, take a family member or friend with you. Two heads are often better than one when it comes to a situation like this. If you still feel his actions were inappropriate and performed only for financial gain, you can consider other options.

More than 75 percent of medical testing performed today is not backed up by solid evidence to justify the expense, and this is not always the fault of the medical profession. Patients often demand laboratory testing and/or sophisticated X-rays they've read about in magazines or journals. The end result is higher costs to all Americans. While those of us lucky enough to have insurance may feel the charges are "taken care of," we neglect to realize that we personally, our employers, an organization, the state or federal government are the ones that must meet those exorbitant costs. Sadly, as with any profession today, abuse can occur along the way, elevating charges even higher.

There are thousands of reputable, qualified and caring physicians with good health as their primary objective. Should you be faced with another medical issue such as this in the future, speak with a physician in whom you have confidence. If you still have questions, demand a second opinion before consenting to any surgical procedure. Read about your condition. Know what questions to ask, and get answers in advance. You wouldn't buy a car without doing research, so why would you leave your health in the hands of someone else? Your well-being is much more important than a car, yet often more thought goes into that purchase than a doctor visit. Be an informed consumer, and take control of your health issues to the best of your ability.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my newly updated Health Report "Medical Specialists".