How Dana Carvey found out about his botched heart surgery

In 1998, the comedian, Dana Carvey decided to have heart surgery after heart specialists told him his arteries were clogged. Angioplasty didn’t work so surgery seemed to be the answer. Dana arrived at the hospital for his surgery in a good mood, even cracking jokes before the operation.

After surgery, Dana thought that all went well. But the previous symptoms returned about two months later. This time he saw Dr. P.K. Shaw, of Cedars-Sinai, who told him the devastating news: the physician who performed the surgery had attached a healthy part of Dana Carvey’s artery, not to the damaged arterial section, but to a healthy vessel. It left him dangerously susceptible to a heart attack.

Dana went through an emergency angioplasty at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Another immediate bypass surgery would have been too risky. Eventually, he had heart surgery again and he is fine now. But he did sue and received a large settlement. How did this happen? He chose a supposedly respectable cardiologist and hospital.

It pays to get another recommendation or multiple recommendations. Surgery is serious. Don’t just look at good reviews, look at bad ones as well. What if there are no reviews and you have no recommendations? Research the hospital. See if they are known for certain types of surgery. Large, well-known hospitals usually have accessible feedback.