Indian-Origin Cardiac Surgeon Sued for Wrong Heart Valve Implant Surgery on 13-Year-Old
Dr. Ashok Muralidaran, an Indian-origin pediatric cardiac surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University, is facing a $17 million lawsuit after allegedly implanting a heart valve upside down during surgery on a 13-year-old girl in August 2025. The girl's heart could not be restarted after the procedure and she required mechanical life support before being transferred to Seattle Children's Hospital, where the misplacement was discovered. The case sparked social media debate about medical education standards, though the surgeon completed his advanced training in the United States.
On August 15, 2025, Dr. Ashok Muralidaran led a surgical team at OHSU to implant a heart valve in a 13-year-old girl. According to the lawsuit filed by the girl's parents, Steven and Lori Stokes, the surgery went wrong when doctors were unable to restart her heart after the procedure and placed her on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a mechanical heart-lung machine. The parents alleged they were told the heart failure was due to surgical shock, but after three days in the ICU with an open chest incision and exploratory surgery, no cause was identified. The family transferred the girl to Seattle Children's Hospital, where physicians discovered the valve had been implanted upside down. After correction, her condition stabilized and she was discharged after more than a month. The case prompted social media commentary questioning Indian medical education standards, though Dr. Muralidaran completed his fellowship training at Yale University in the United States.
What's missing
The current status of the lawsuit and any response from Dr. Muralidaran or his legal representatives are not included. Additionally, the girl's current health status and long-term prognosis following the corrective surgery are not detailed.
What different sources said
- Times of IndiaCenter
'India gives fake degrees': Dr Ashok Muralidaran under fire over 'wrong' heart surgery in Oregon
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