A man who underwent surgery to place a stent into his arteries is suing the heart doctor who led the procedure, his employer, and a Belleville hospital.
James Edwards Gompers claims the wrong sized stent was placed in the coronary arteries, and that Dr. Prasad Kandula knew a different sized tube was needed at a point during the procedure.
Gompers filed suit against Dr. Kandula, Mid-America Heart, and Memorial Hospital in Belleville on June 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court. He accuses the defendants of negligence.
Prior to the operation at the Memorial Hospital in December 2015, Gompers claims he had a doctor-patient relationship with Kandula, one that led to the decision to carry out the heart stent procedure.
But Gompers claims that during the procedure, while he was lying on the operating table but still lucid, he overheard the doctor and other medical professionals discussing the fact that they needed a different sized stent.
A staff member was dispatched to find one that was the right size. However, Gompers overheard the staff member say that the proper sized stent was not available after conducting a search. The suit states that the initial stent already in the operating room was used.
Gompers states that he maintained a relationship with Kandula, but searched out another doctor for a second opinion.
He underwent a second operation, this time at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. During the procedure, the original stent was found to be "massively fractured," the complaint states. A bridge was allegedly placed on the stent to counter the fracture.
Gompers accuses the doctor of negligent acts because he failed to "properly diagnosis the plaintiff's cardiac condition," failed to prepare for operation but not ensuring the proper sized stent was available, and did not halt the procedure.
Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Heart are also accused of negligence.
"Plaintiff has suffered tremendously and will continue to do so," the complaint states. Gompers claims he will also continues to suffer "emotional damage."
Gompers seeks a judgment in excess of $50,000 for each of the three counts. He is represented by Jason Caraway of Caraway Fisher & Broombaugh PC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 19-L-424