Spinal Surgery Hardware Scam

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

The article below concerns the use of counterfeit spinal surgery hardware. It is a story of frightening greed, and fraud. Not for the queasy. I am posting it here in the hope that it inspires surgical candidates to ask very pointed questions about the hardware to be used by their surgeons. No one-- absolutely no one-- deserves to be a victim of this kind of outrageous and intolerable deceit.

https://beta.cironline.org/reports/medical-firm-profited-on-pain-in-alleged-spine-surgery-hardware-s...

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Greed and fraud; it's the American way. It's an awful story but there is absolutely nothing a patient can do to prevent something like that. The scheme was brilliantly crafted. Asking questions about the hardware would have been useless because doctors do not buy or furnish the hardware to the hospitals where these types of surgeries are performed. Doctors bill for their surgical services, the hospitals bill for and buy hardware and supplies. It seems like the company mixed fake screws with genuine screws and no doubt, many packs went out with all genuine materials. So, the doctors scheduled the surgeries at particular hospitals. They specified particular hardware from a particular company and the hospitals (who were clueless about the fraud) ordered the hardware. If a patient asked what was going to be used, the patient would have been told by the hospital and the doctor that hardware would be provided by a specific company. Which was reputable company. So, asking wouldn't have done a thing. Even if this type of scheme exists elsewhere, and it probably does, the patient is powerless. This is something no patient can protect his or herself from. Just knowing the name of the supplier or manufacturer doesn't mean anything. It sounds like opening the packs and inspecting every piece....which is routinely done in all such surgeries....also accomplishes nothing because the perpetrators disguised the fake screws, made them look authentic. That's why I say it was a brilliant scheme. I don't think all of the surgeons even knew what was going on. Docs get wined and dined and get all kinds of freebies from companies who want them to use their supplies. So, it's likely that some or even all of the surgeons didn't even know about the fake hardware. Since they interspersed fake screws with genuine ones and since the screws are only a PART of the hardware used, there would have no immediate hardware failure or breakdown to tip anyone off. I suppose this was meant to be a doctor bash but I tend to think that the doctors were used to get the stuff into the hospitals, the hospitals were victimized and the patients were victimized. The only ones who knew were those directly involved. It's quite amazing and incredibly scary.

Nightowlz · ‎03-11-2010

Absolutely scary. I agree most hospitals & doctors knew nothing about this. They need to come up with a way to mark these materials so they can be checked out to make sure they are legit. It's painful enough for people to go through these surgeries & then to have to go through it again after the procedure fails due to a hardware scam. I'm sure there are other things that go on we have no idea about.

Sounds like the doctor that was giving patients cancer treatments so he could file Ins & the patients did not even have cancer. I sure don't want a doctor like that. I'm pretty sure they took his license to practice as that's what should have happened not to mention jail time.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

My post was not meant to bash any doctors. That said, there are schemers and scammers in the world (who are not typically doctors, thankfully) who don't care if people are injured by their actions. Those are the ones I do not like, no matter what their profession might be in whatever industry.

I just wish this type of fraud could have been prevented before the fact, rather than after the fact, after hundreds (or thousands?) were adversely affected. It is just plain sad.

Nightowlz · ‎03-11-2010

On 11/5/2014 Jersey Born said:
My post was not meant to bash any doctors. That said, there are schemers and scammers in the world (who are not typically doctors, thankfully) who don't care if people are injured by their actions. Those are the ones I do not like, no matter what their profession might be in whatever industry.

I just wish this type of fraud could have been prevented before the fact, rather than after the fact, after hundreds (or thousands?) were adversely affected. It is just plain sad.

I knew you were not bashing doctors. I am bashing the doctor that treated patients for cancer so he could file Ins claims. These people did not even have cancer. Terrible. Don't understand how anyone could do things like this. I truly believe in the end people that do things like this will get what's coming to them.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

Thank you, Nightowlz.

I feel as you do. When a person causes such harm to others, it eventually catches up with them.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Always good to read some stories concerning fraud and other such abuses by those in any type of practice or business.

My concerns are aimed more at the "Execs" of companies, say like GM, that for a couple bucks will put out vehicles that they are pretty much using as "test products" with the ones buying them being the guinea pigs testing them for durability or safety.

Concerning the Medical Field? One need look no further that the VA "execs" and their greed to get a $10,000 bonus at the expense of the lives of Vets that risked their lives and limbs so these same execs could live in a democratic society.

Don't have anymore to say about this and I will certainly ask my friend, a Spinal Surgeon, when I see him a week from tomorrow, and see what he knows about this "story".

hckynut(john)

Reba055 · ‎06-23-2014

It is appalling what people today wIll do to make a buck. I honestly can't fathom how anyone could get to such a state in life to have absolutely no conscience. It's pathetic.

Jersey Born · ‎03-10-2010

Hi, John. How funny you mentioned GM. I was just about to test drive one of their vehicles when the scandal broke. Guess it wasn't meant to be. That the executives at GM didn't care at all that people were dying from faulty ignition switches made me feel ill.

ITA with you, Reba, and on a much happier note, I wish you a very good night. (You, too, John.)

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

On 11/5/2014 chrystaltree said:
Greed and fraud; it's the American way. It's an awful story but there is absolutely nothing a patient can do to prevent something like that. The scheme was brilliantly crafted. Asking questions about the hardware would have been useless because doctors do not buy or furnish the hardware to the hospitals where these types of surgeries are performed. Doctors bill for their surgical services, the hospitals bill for and buy hardware and supplies. It seems like the company mixed fake screws with genuine screws and no doubt, many packs went out with all genuine materials. So, the doctors scheduled the surgeries at particular hospitals. They specified particular hardware from a particular company and the hospitals (who were clueless about the fraud) ordered the hardware. If a patient asked what was going to be used, the patient would have been told by the hospital and the doctor that hardware would be provided by a specific company. Which was reputable company. So, asking wouldn't have done a thing. Even if this type of scheme exists elsewhere, and it probably does, the patient is powerless. This is something no patient can protect his or herself from. Just knowing the name of the supplier or manufacturer doesn't mean anything. It sounds like opening the packs and inspecting every piece....which is routinely done in all such surgeries....also accomplishes nothing because the perpetrators disguised the fake screws, made them look authentic. That's why I say it was a brilliant scheme. I don't think all of the surgeons even knew what was going on. Docs get wined and dined and get all kinds of freebies from companies who want them to use their supplies. So, it's likely that some or even all of the surgeons didn't even know about the fake hardware. Since they interspersed fake screws with genuine ones and since the screws are only a PART of the hardware used, there would have no immediate hardware failure or breakdown to tip anyone off. I suppose this was meant to be a doctor bash but I tend to think that the doctors were used to get the stuff into the hospitals, the hospitals were victimized and the patients were victimized. The only ones who knew were those directly involved. It's quite amazing and incredibly scary.

IT IS NOT the American way. That is an insult to all Americans. It is the way of cheats and thieves, and there are plenty of them in every country, in fact, I could make a case that we might have fewer.

I'm interested that the surgeons, who are for the most part quite intelligent and very thorough people, did not notice that the parts looked different and investigate this. Especially as a lot of surgeons are foreign-born and have definitely heard of medical counterfeits in other countries. It's very common overseas.

But please do not equate a cheater and evil man like this guy with all people in the medical equipment business. This guy was a get-rich-quick-scammer. And by the way, if you see drug using behavior in your boss, get out and stay out. It NEVER works out well.