Veteran suing Iowa medical center for $12M

Wednesday, April 9, 2008


Veteran suing medical center for $12M


A Marine Corps veteran is suing the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Iowa City for $12 million for allegedly performing unnecessary open heart surgery on him almost 10 years ago.

According to the lawsuit, filed in January in U.S. District Court, Anthony Lank, 44, of Iowa City underwent an angiography in April 1999, and a month later had open-heart surgery.

Seven years later, Lank met with cardiologists at the Mayo Clinic and learned from the doctors that his surgery was based on an inaccurate diagnosis of his heart condition and the surgery was unnecessary, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges staff at the V.A. Medical Center knew of the error but did not tell Lank. According to the lawsuit, physicians told Lank he was a "time bomb waiting to go off" and that he had "eight months to live." Lank said the misdiagnosis caused him stress and anxiety because he believed he was dying.

Lank filed an injury claim last year with the hospital, asking for $12 million from the hospital. However, that claim was denied by the V.A. Medical Center.

Kirk Sickels, the spokesman for the V.A. Medical Center, said the hospital does not comment on pending litigation.

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