Expert Information
Currently engaged in clinical practice: Yes
Degree: MD
Specialty / Subspecialty:
- Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Area of Expertise: Atrial fibrillation surgery, aortic valve surgery, mitral valve repair/replacement, TAVR, coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic surgery
Year of Medical Training Completion: 2010
City of Practice: MILWAUKEE
State of Practice: Wisconsin
Previous Experience As Expert Witness: Yes
Type of Practice: Academic
- Deposition(s) Given For the Defendant:
- Deposition(s) Given For the Plaintiff:
- Testified in a Trial For the Defendent:
- Testified in a Trial For the Plaintiff:
Available to Review Cases: Yes, for either the defendant or the plaintiff
Available to Be Deposed: Yes, for either the defendant or the plaintiff
Available to Testify In Trial: No
Training and Additional Credentials
Medical School: -
Year of Completion: -
Residency: -
Year of Completion: -
Fellowship: -
Year of Completion: -
Academic / Leadership Information
Highest Academic/Leadership Position Achieved: -
Current Academic Affiliation: -
Distinguishing Achievements
Awards: -
Number of Publications on PubMed: -
Professional Organizations: -
Fee Schedule
Medical Record Review:
Review of Medical Records, Review of Additional Materials, additional office consultation
- $400
- $3000
Independent Medical Examination:
Independent Medical Examination with written report
- Per Hour: $400
Deposition in office:
Deposition: Discovery/Evidence
- First two hours: $500
- For each Additional hour or any portion thereof: $500
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled disposition): -
- Cancellation fee (less than 7 days notice): -
Trial (InState):
- Initial day: -
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): -
- For each additional day: -
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): -
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled trial): -
Trial (Out of State):
- Initial day: -
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): -
- For each additional day: -
- Cancellation fee (less than 72 hours notice): -
- Retainer (due 14 days prior to scheduled trial): -
Case Responses
Mitral Valve procedure w/ extended clamping/bypass time and multiple complications. (Case #457)
- Medical Probability: 7 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: Mitral valve repair is a very complex procedure requiring high expertise and years of experience. Anatomic and echocardiographic assessment performed perioperatively are paramount. Type of repair has ...
- Causation Probability: 7 / 10
- Causation Summary: Possibly an error in judgement on type of repair performed, as well as perioperative management.
- Expert Summary: I have been an expert reviewer for 15 years.
- Similar Summary: Very often. I have reviewed prior cases of mitral valve procedures leading to major morbidity and mortality. Most of them stemmed from suboptimal operative experience or judgement.
77M, IVC tear during CABG (Case #472)
- Medical Probability: 6 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: There are several aspects that are somewhat controversial here: 1) The described case was estimated to be at very high risk (morbidity/mortality of 15% ?). Was this estimate based on STS-PROM ? If ...
- Causation Probability: 6 / 10
- Causation Summary: Please, refer to comments made above.
- Expert Summary: Attending cardiothoracic surgeon for the past 17 years, with legal/expert counsel role for the last 15.
- Similar Summary: Not often, as this appears to be an extraordinary combination of technical issues and high-risk type of case.
- Medical Probability: 4 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: This was a complex case of congenital hypoplasia of the transverse aortic arch and descending aorta (coarctation) that was complicated by mediastinal tamponade and LEFT (not right) hemidiaphragmatic p...
- Causation Probability: 4 / 10
- Causation Summary: Please, refer to my comments in the previous section. I don't believe there is any causation.
- Expert Summary: Attending cardiothoracic surgeon for 17 years with legal/expert consultant activity for the past 15.
- Similar Summary: I mostly manage adult cardiac surgery patient. In several circumstances, however, they carry congenital structural defects that are addressed in the adult age.
74yo Lead Extraction Complicated by Major Vascular Injury (Case #527)
- Medical Probability: 6 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: Interesting and unfortunate case. Tearing of venae cavae during procedures of lead extraction is a well known complication (with elevated mortality), although rare with current extraction devices and ...
- Causation Probability: 5 / 10
- Causation Summary: Hard to establish causation without knowing hemodynamic parameters during the events and the time extent of hypotension. There are also insufficient data in regards whether there was any cerebral moni...
- Expert Summary: Cardiac surgical back for lead extraction is part of my practice.
- Similar Summary: I cover 2 of this cases every 4-6 weeks per year. Emergent repair of injury caused by lead extraction represents less than 1% of the cases.
Phrenic nerve injury after CABG resulting in need for a single lung transplant. (Case #535)
- Medical Probability: 3 / 10
- Medical Error Summary: The described patient presents remarkable risk factors for postoperative respiratory failure, which was probably exacerbated by the sternotomy and the left hemidiaphragm paralysis. "Chronic hypoxic re...
- Causation Probability: 5 / 10
- Causation Summary: When excluding the risk factors, the lack of specific operative details makes it difficult to establish causation. Although rare, unilateral phrenic nerve injury can occur even when the listed precaut...
- Expert Summary: Attending cardiothoracic surgeon for the past 18 years. A very large part of my practice is represented by CABG procedures.
- Similar Summary: Very rarely. Patients with significant pulmonary risk factor and chronic respiratory failure are generally directed to transcatheter percutaneous intervention.
