Cardiologist the subject of several malpractice claims for allegedly performing unnecessary heart operations
Multiple patients have filed malpractice claims against Indiana cardiologist Edward Harlamert, MD, for allegedly performing unnecessary procedures.
One patient, for example, received a total of 41 stents from 2004 to 2013—and he said the experience was so hard that he feared he would be driven to suicide. Another patient said being treated by Harlamert ruined her life.
Harlamert is a veteran interventional cardiologist who now works at Witham Heart Partners in Lebanon, Indiana. He has previously worked with Community Health, Indiana University Health and the Indiana Heart Hospital.
Indianapolis-based WTHR-TV performed a thorough investigation of the situation, sharing the full story on its website. The outlet consulted with four different cardiologists for its investigation, asking them to review some patient records and images and share their own perspective.
According to WTHR-TV, five malpractice claims related to Harlamert remain open. Of the two that have been resolved, a medical review panel sided with the patient once and sided with Harlamert once.
One of the cardiologists brought in to help with this investigation was Sunil Rao, MD, director of interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Health and president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions.
“I have never seen a patient who has gotten this many procedures,” Rao said after reviewing the records of one patient. “If you’re going to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, you’re probably making an error in judgment … at some point, someone should have said, ‘What we’re doing here is not working.’”
A statement from the cardiologist’s attorneys
Harlamert declined to comment directly on the story, but his attorneys did share a statement with WTHR-TV.
“For more than 30 years, Dr. Harlamert has treated his cardiology patients based on their unique circumstances, his expertise and the tools available,” according to the statement. “When disputes arise about a medical professional’s treatment of patients, there is an Indiana statutory medical review process that is to be followed. In this process, all facts and evidence are presented to an unbiased medical review panel comprised of medical professionals. Dr. Harlamert has always been committed to providing quality care to patients.”
For the full story, including context from additional cardiologists, click the link below:
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.