Cardiologists Facing Nearly 300 Lawsuits

Three cardiologists who practice togeter are facing nearly 300 medical malpractice claims from patients who allege that the doctors performed unnecessary procedures to stuff their pockets with millions of dollars. The allegations include performing "routine" angiograms on patients every six months and unnecessary implantantion of pacemakers and defibrillators.

The conduct of one of the cardiologists, Dr. Arvind Gandhi, a Munster, Indiana, cardiologist, first came to light in 2008 when a doctor and nurse at the local hospital filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Medicare fraud and other violations stemming from Dr. Gandhi's unnecessary implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators. The federal investigation ultimately resulted in a settlement.

Thereafter Dr. Gandhi's practice came under more scrutiny and it was learned that he and his colleagues had scheduled "routine" angiograms for some patients every six months although there is no such thing as a routine angiogram, and otherwise subjected patients to unnecessary invasive procedures to place pacemakers and defibrillators. Financial records revealed that Dr. Gandhi's cardiology group, although located in a small community of 23,000, received the most Medicare dollars of any cardiology practice in Indiana.

The first lawsuit in the matter recently went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict for the widow of a man who died from an infection from an implanted pacemaker. Dr. Gandhi and his colleagues insist they have done nothing wrong and, at this time, plan on defending each of the lawsuits.