"Fitting of cardiac stents (The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital)"

In 2010 I booked in with referral from my GP for a stress test at the Sunshine Coast Buderim Private hospital. In my opinion I was fit, healthy in my 60’s with very good health, no heart attack nor stroke, good blood pressure, never breathless or overweight. I have always been extremely active, never smoked nor eaten fast foods, and 2 glasses of wine per week. The stress test was not performed and the doctor I saw said he wanted to perform an angiogram, with stenting; if any blockages were found. He never mentioned angina to me.

The reason for this visit was I had damaged a chest muscle, with severe pain that lasted for over 2 hours and with the only relief being from placing my chest on to a pillow on the bed whilst kneeling beside. The incidence of chest pain was very intense 7. 5 out of 10. The next morning when I lifted a heavy object in the garden I felt a slight twinge in same area 1 out of 10 intensity. I had been riding my mountain bike for exercise [ 35km, average 24. 5, 3 times a week ] when the pain first appeared, so as I had a 2 week wait before seeing the doctor for the stress test, I thought I would carefully monitor myself. I started brisk walking the following morning and in the first 100mt I felt a slight niggle in pectoral 1 out of 10 intensity. I then commenced riding at brisk pace and always had very slight niggle at warm up that completely disappeared in very short distance, with no further pain

I believe I had Stents inappropriately fitted as I did not think I had angina and no tests were performed. The doctor did not seem to listen when I informed him of severe pains and no energy on 40mg of Lipitor, he then prescribed 40mg of Crestor, which to my knowledge is closer to 3 times stronger than Lipitor. Total cholesterol at commencement of Statins reduced with 40mg of Lipitor.

I now have permanent muscle damage which precludes me from sleeping as I see every hour on the hour even after ceasing Crestor in late 2010. I believe this doctor has ruined my quality of life.

I would not recommend the Sunshine Coast Buderim Private Hospital to any patient. I believe the hospital management were complicit in covering for the cardiologist, whom I believe performed a fraudulent procedure [stenting without symptoms], falsified his files of consultations, which I have in my possession, and was incompetent by prescribing Crestor 4 times higher than dosage sheet. My legacy of this, is I see every hour on the hour with debilitating muscle leg pains, which precludes me from sleeping.