Malpractice trial for doctor accused of treatment that led to stroke
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A medical malpractice civil trial began Thursday against a doctor who performed an experimental vein-opening treatment for multiple sclerosis on a Canadian woman who suffered a stroke as a result.
Her attorney said in opening statements at that she was desperate to improve her symptoms, which included difficulty with balance, swallowing, speech and strength.
Instead, he said, she experienced a stroke that left her unable to walk or care for herself. Hours passed before she was taken to Regional Hospital in rush-hour traffic rather than to a Hospital, a mile away.
“She can’t use her walker, cannot dress herself, has to be catheterized. She needs to be fed. She still has MS,” her attorney told jurors.
The doctor’s attorney said he was not negligent and that her condition deteriorated as a result of her illness progressing.
The treatment is based on a hypothesis that insufficient vein drainage from the nervous system, dubbed “chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency,” or CCSVI, is linked to MS. While the angioplasty itself is considered low-risk, some neurologists called it a sham treatment for an autoimmune disorder that exploited vulnerable patients.
In 2012, the Food and Drug Adminstration issued a safety alert about risk of death or serious injury from the procedure. The FDA noted complications including stroke and blood clots, saying the treatment was unproven.
The doctor and his colleagues marketed their practice to Canadian patients and charged $8,000 cash plus imaging fees. Canada has among the highest MS rates in the world.
“He was not at that point involved in any research,” his attorney said. “He’s not an MS expert.”
The trial is set to resume Tuesday morning.
Thanks to Courtney Perkes and The Orange County Register.
