St. Joseph's patients got heart stents they did not need

The federal government started investigating St. Joseph's Medical Center in Towson last year.  Now we know why.  Hundreds of heart patients that had cardiac stents placed by Dr. Mark Midei have been notified by the hospital that these stents may not have been necessary.  So far, 369 patients have received this notice.  Some of these patients had minimal or insignificant blockages in their arteries but got a stent anyhow.  Cardiac stents are used to open a partially blocked artery around the heart to prevent a heart attack.  Blockages should be 70% or more before the stent is placed.  But some patients at St. Joseph's who were given stents only had 10% blockages.  Dr. Midei left his practice at St. Joseph's last summer.  There is no current practice address listed for him on the Maryland Board of Physicians website. 

When the CEO of St. Joseph's, Jeffrey Norman,  was asked by a reporter if the hospital bears any responsibility he responded, "I suppose we do."  Suppose?  Legally there are many potential claims against St. Joseph's and Dr. Midei, including negligence, assault, battery, fraud and lack of informed consent.  Patients have a right to be fully informed about their medical condition and any treatment that is necessary.  Doctors take an oath to "do no harm".  So, it is almost unthinkable that a doctor would subject a patient to unnecessary surgery.  And yet, that is apparently what has happened.  These patients cannot be restored to the condition they were in before the stents were placed.  But they can hope for some measure of justice through our legal system.