Ohio Co. doctor files medmal suit after knee surgery

WHEELING – An Ohio County doctor says failures by medical personnel to address complaints of cardiac symptoms and delays in treatment led to permanent heart damage.

John D. Templeton M.D. and Lisa Templeton filed a lawsuit July 24 in Ohio Circuit Court against Ohio Valley Medical Center Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia P.L.L.C., Shawn G. Stern and Shawn G. Stern D.O. P.L.L.C.

According to the lawsuit, Templeton had surgery to replace his right knee on June 12, 2012, at a facility owned by Ohio Valley Medical Center. The next day, he told a physical therapist and registered nurses he was feeling chest pain and tachycardia.

The suit says his concerns were not promptly reported to a doctor, and an EKG wasn't performed until 11:09 a.m. Laboratory tests followed at 11:45 a.m., with an echocardiogram at 12:30 p.m. Templeton was not discharged to Wheeling Hospital until 2:15 p.m. and a cardiac catheter was not iserted until 2:32 p.m.

Between the plaintiff's EKG and cardiac catheterization, more than three hours passed. The time that Templeton notified medical personnel of his symptoms to cardiac catheterization was five and a half hours. There was significant delay in dicharging Templeton to Wheeling Hospital for catheterization.

The lawsuit alleges that Stern deviated from the standard of care in that he failed to interpret the EKG in a timely fashion and failed to treat the patient when evidence of an acute inferior wall myocardial infarction was presented. As a result of these failures, the Templeton suffered a permanent disability, pain and incurred medical expenses, which will continue.

The plaintiffs ask for a judgment to be determined by a jury with pre- and post- judgment interest and costs.

The couple is represented by C. Richard Wilson of Wilson Law Offices in Moundsville and Kathleen J. Fantazzi of Gold Khourey and Turak L.C. of Moundsville. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Ronald E. Wilson.

Ohio Circuit Court Case 14-C-217