Administrator of deceased woman's estate blames doctor, hospital for her death

The administrator of a deceased woman's estate alleges the woman died after developing heart arrhythmia following a heart procedure at a local hospital.

Debbie Paganucci filed a lawsuit Nov. 5 in Madison County Circuit Court against Gateway Regional Medical Center, Anderson Hospital and Dr. Foluso Ogunleye. In her complaint, Paganucci alleges Deloris Bast underwent a cardiac evaluation and stinting procedure in April 2012.

"During the aforementioned evaluation, at the left anterior descending coronary artery, the marginal artery was perforated," the suit states. "This resulted in an infarction in the anterior wall of the left ventricle."

Because of the incident, Bast became ill and experienced complication, including arrhythmia that led to her death Nov. 8, 2012, according to the complaint.

Paganucci names Gateway Regional Medical Center as a defendant, saying its employee improperly placed the stent, perforated the left anterior descending coronary artery, failed to inform Bast of the infarction, failed to treat her hypertension and failed to properly evaluate and treat he atherosclerotic heart disease.

She also names Anderson Hospital and Ogunleye as defendants, saying they negligently failed to identify and inform Bast of the prior infarction, failed to treat her hypertension, failed to properly evaluate and treat her atherosclerotic heart disease and failed to inform her of treatment options.

In her complaint, Paganucci seeks a judgment of more than $150,000, plus costs.

Attorney Alan Mandel, of Mandel and Mandel in St. Louis, will represent Paganucci.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 14-L-1545.