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Um, Can Another Doctor Read My Films?

By John Mesirow

You'd probably be better off having your palm read than having your x-rays or CT scans read by Oregon and Washington radiologist David Shoemaker. Both states have suspended Dr. Shoemaker's license. Here are a few of the "Findings of Fact" by the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners:

"On May 18, 2001, Patient I underwent CT scans (with contrast) of the abdomen and pelvis. [Dr. Shoemaker] noted small cysts in the ovaries, and noted a normal uters. The patient did not have ovaries or a uterus." [Emphasis mine. Can you blame me?]

He x-rayed the foot of a patient complaining of foot and toe pain. He noted a hammertoe deformity, but "failed to note the presence of a metallic foreign body in the toe area." [!]

"On May 18, 2000, [Dr. Shoemaker performed a CT scan on Patient K's pelvis and hips, noting a normal uterus. Patient K did not have a uterus." [Yes, the emphasis is mine again. Shazam!]

He did a chest x-ray of a patient, and thought she might have a tumor "masquerading as pneumonia." So he ordered a CT scan, and concluded that there was evidence of a tumor. Wrong! The patient had pneumonia, not a tumor.

He performed a mammogram and noted that NO right-sided lymph notes had been visualized. There were right lymph nodes.

In Patient A, he failed to note a mass in the neck that turned out to be cancerous. Said Dr. Shoemaker, it was a "terrible miss on my part."

SFM. You can read the entire Oregon Board of Medical Examiners Final Order (if you're really bored - it's 14 pages) here.

Full post as published by Legal Juice on November 10, 2008 (boomark / email).