White v. O. Wayne Isom and N.Y. Hospital

Outcome: Settled

Description: The patient was admitted to New York Hospital for replacement of her Aortic heart valve. After excising the patient's Aortic valve, the surgeon failed to properly select the correct size prosthetic replacement valve. The valve he selected was too large for the patient's Aortic annulus and did not seat properly, obstructing the patient's Left Main Coronary Artery. Post-operatively, the surgeon failed to diagnose the improperly seated prosthetic valve, which led to the patient's complete cardiac arrest. Ultimately, the patient was required to undergo a heart transplant. The surgeon denied any responsibility for the patient's injuries, but we were able to arrange for the surgical team from Utah who performed the patient's heart transplant to fly to New York and testify that the implantation surgery was performed improperly. After this testimony, the case settled.