Cardiologist Inserts Hundreds of Unnecessary Heart Stents

Baltimore area cardiologist Dr. Mark Midei allegedly implanted unnecessary cardiac stents in hundreds of patients at a Towson hospital.  The company that made the stents, Abbott Laboratories, was paying for crab and barbecue feasts at the doctor's home, and building a business strategy around the Maryland cardiologist's high output, according to a federal report being released today.

Abbott, a $30 billion-a-year, Chicago-based pharmaceutical firm, ranked Midei among its top-volume doctors in the Northeast and made plying him with research money and "VIP trips" part of its business plan in late 2008 — about the time Midei's usage of Abbott-brand stents soared, the report said.  The 170-page document contains the findings of a months-long investigation by the U.S. Senate.

Have you had a cardiac stent placement recently and suspect it was unnecessary?  Have you suffered injuries from a cardiac procedure? Contact the firm for a free evaluation and investigation.