Undergoing a colonoscopy, or colon cancer screening test, is supposed to be a calculated risk.
Those risks include a tear in the rectum or colon, bleeding from the tissue sample site, an adverse reaction to the sedative or an infection. But people do it because this risk is usually worth it to know early on whether you have colon cancer, which can be deadly.
However, our Staten Island medical malpractice attorneys understand that a new study indicates about a quarter of the colonoscopies performed on older adults weren’t medically necessary or appropriate, per screening guidelines.
A colonoscopy might be considered inappropriate if it is conducted more often than recommended or if it’s performed on patients who are over the age of 75. While there is obviously some variation among physicians, the study researcher, a professor of surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch, found that many were overusing colonoscopies.
For those who are not known to be at high risk for the cancer, the the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends regular screenings begin at age 50, and have one conducted every 10 years (assuming the tests are negative). But they generally aren’t needed for someone over the age of 75, and they aren’t recommended for anyone over the age of 85.
Yet, they are still being undertaken by physicians, despite the diminishing benefits and heightened risks.
The researchers looked at some 75,000 colonoscopies performed in the state of Texas between the fall of 2008 and the fall of 2009. What they found was that 23 percent of those were “inappropriate.”
In a recent case profiled by The New York Times, a healthy 80-year-old from Alabama was instructed by his doctor to undergo the procedure, despite the fact that he hadn’t been at high risk, doesn’t drink or smoke and goes to the gym daily. The doctor removed to small polyps and sent him home to recover. The next day, he was in excruciating pain. He was rushed to the emergency room, where tests revealed he had suffered a perforated colon. He was forced to undergo a colostomy and spend one week in intensive care. After his discharge, he lost 30 pounds. He returned the hospital two months later to to have the colostomy reversed. After that, he developed a painful “crimp” in his stomach, something called ileus that doctors say is common for elderly patients after bowel surgery. He was sent back to the hospital. While there, he got up once to go to the bathroom and fell to the floor. He was bloodied and badly bruised and required X-rays and stitches.
Doctors and surgeons who conduct unnecessary procedures may be held liable for the complications that arise as a result.
Now 85, the man is convinced most others his age would have died after enduring everything he did – a series of events that would never have happened had he not received unnecessary treatment.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offers free consultations. Call 1-877-313-7673.
Additional Resources:
Too Many Colonoscopies in the Elderly, March 12, 2013, By Paula Span, The New York Times
More Blog Entries:
Medical Malpractice Watch: Hospitals Profit from Hospital-Acquired Infections, May 17, 2013, Staten Island Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
