An individual goes in to have plaque removed from the carotid artery. After completion of the surgery, the patient suffers a massive stroke. Now the question from the family is whether the stroke is the result of Maryland medical malpractice?
To better understand this one must know the current state of Maryland law; and that is that just because a bad result happened during a procedure this does not mean that medical malpractice occurred. A doctor can follow the standard of care and give good and proper medical care and a bad result can still occur.
When a doctor performs a carotid endarterectomy, he or she is trying to prevent a stroke in a patient. However, with that said, depending on how much plaque is already present a stroke can still result immediately after the procedure, even following accepted medical practices.
The only way to know for sure whether a stroke following a carotid artery procedure is medical malpractice is to review the medical records from the procedure itself. Once a medical expert reviews the records, a better assessment can be done to determine whether a departure from the standard of care occurred.
To speak with us further on whether your stroke could have been prevented, this is what we invite you to do. Pick up the phone and give us a call. We can be reached at 301-850-4832. We answer questions like yours all the time regarding Maryland medical malpractice law and we would be glad to listen to your story.
