Cincinnati-based West Chester Hospital and more than 350 former patients of notorious spine surgeon Atiq Durrani, MD, came to a settlement agreement, according to WLWT5.
Here are five things to know:
1. Dr. Durrani is at the center of more than 500 legal cases stemming from his time as a practicing spine surgeon in the U.S. Although he denies wrongdoing, Dr. Durrani is accused of performing unnecessary surgeries and fraudulently billing Medicare for millions of dollars.
2. With his practice opening in 2009, Dr. Durrani continued to performed surgery at several hospitals in the Cincinnati area until 2013 when he faced a federal indictment. From 2010 to January 2013, Dr. Durrani received around $12 million from Medicare. After the indictment, Dr. Durrani fled the country to Pakistan, where he maintained citizenship.
3. Six of Dr. Durrani's patients are suing him and West Chester Hospital in a federal trial. The hospital settled with those six individuals and "hundreds of others," according to the report; however, the lawsuit against Dr. Durrani remains ongoing.
4. The settlement dollar amount was not disclosed, and Dr. Durrani remains in Pakistan practicing spine surgery.
5. Cases against other hospitals where he held privileges are ongoing; those hospitals include Christ Hospital, Deaconess and Good Samaritan, all in Cincinnati.
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