Wrong mammography screenings performed?

Mammography scandal around Essen radiologists - botch or intrigue?

05/16/2014

In Essen, a radiologist allegedly carried out breast cancer examinations for years without the required qualifications, which could have caused the patients significant damage due to late diagnoses. The accused physician, who is also councilman of the city of Essen, dismisses all allegations and sees behind the allegations the attempt - also for financial reasons - to discredit his reputation. The allegations are made by people who themselves have an interest in taking over the lucrative business of mammography.

The Essen radiologist stands since the publication of an article in the „South German newspaper“, The report of missing certifications for the performed biopsies for breast cancer diagnosis, enormously under pressure. Not least because he is receiving special public attention as a local politician currently involved in the election campaign. As the owner of the diagnostic center „Diavero“ was Dr. Karlgeorg Krüger in recent years responsible for numerous breast cancer examinations of which, according to media reports, some could have been faulty.

Radiologist rejects the accusation
The physician has now gone on the offensive after initially anonymous articles and publicly told the press that his team and himself may have made small mistakes, but this remains inevitable in everyday practice. „They do not manage to fish all women out, nobody can“, quotes the „WAZ“ Dr. Kruger. Some carcinomas would grow within weeks. It is true „In hindsight, knowing the course of the disease, perhaps some diagnosis slightly different (to) evaluate“, but that happens to every doctor. The allegations are therefore not justified and in fact it is more about financial interests or the „Access to the lucrative market of breast cancer diagnostics.“ The radiologist claims that his former practice partner forged intrigues against him. After he broke apart in a violent dispute with the physician, who is employed today in the Essen Huyssensstift, this purposefully began to discredit him.

Supply order temporarily withdrawn
Although the former colleague of the accused radiologist does not want to be mentioned by name in the press, he denied „WAZ“ the allegations of dr. Krüger and referred to the assessments and refusal of certifications by the Kassenfernerliche Vereinigung (KV) Nordrhein and the reference center for mammography in Münster, which do not put Krüger in a good light. In 2010, the radiologist was temporarily deprived of the mammography screening service for the first time. Striking is the temporal connection with the separation from the practice partner, who allegedly had significantly more practical experience with the biopsy for breast cancer diagnosis. Possibly the KV saw therefore the qualification for this procedure no more than given. The physician could have blackened his colleagues, however, also due to the disputed separation in the CT. The KV itself did not comment on the reasons for the short-term withdrawal of the supply contract from the press.

Sufficient practical experience with the biopsy available?
The accused radiologist claims to have enough practical experience with the biopsy method, having personally sampled suspected breast tissue 1,000 times. Only the extensive reporting obligations and the bureaucracy he had not met so exactly. This is „The practitioners among the doctors, who then treated the case, for example, operationally, not so important“ Krüger told the press. As a result of the negligence in the reporting system, however, employees of the Münster Mammography Reference Center had turned him into a knit that, however, was not to be seen in connection with a lack of qualifications, according to Dr. Ing. Kruger continues. The Mammography Reference Center did not comment on this in view of the ongoing procedure.

Affidavits severely burden the physician
The statements of the radiologist to his practical experience with the biopsies, however, are contrary to the statements of the affidavit of a former employee, the „WAZ“ is present. In this, it is claimed that the physician over a period of three years, in which the employee could overlook this „not a single one“ the said biopsies „executed independently and by hand“have, reports the newspaper. The allegations apparently weighed so heavily that the KV Nordrhein and the mammography reference center once again withdrew the supply contract from the radiologist last year. The KV stated that this was „for formal reasons“ done.

Action against the withdrawal of the supply contract
According to Dr. Krüger was the withdrawal of the supply order unjustified and he complained therefore in court. It was not until the beginning of the year that a case was closed regarding the allegation of another doctor, who wanted to prove several false diagnoses to Krüger. However, the radiologist could not prevail in the first instance with respect to the deprivation of the supply contract and so find the opponents soon before the National Social Court again. So that his practice could be continued, the radiologist has in the meantime hired a doctor with the required qualifications. The CT explained that this did not necessarily mean that Dr. Kruger „the qualification for correct findings was missing or missing.“

Financial interest in discrediting the doctor?
The reports of the „WAZ“ The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians is also in a difficult situation, since statements made by the opponents of the radiologist should also be treated with caution. There have been efforts by others to undertake the screening. Whether this is possibly meant the Huyssensstift, where Kruger's former practice partner works and also the former employee (signatory of the affidavit) is now employed, remains open. For the radiologist, the current development is in any case extremely precarious. Because it affects not only negatively on his profession, but also his voluntary work for the Essen Civic Alliance (EBB) is affected by this. In the current election campaign for the election on May 25, the physician will probably hardly be able to discuss about political content, but at the election stand will be confronted mainly with the allegation from the (supposed) mammography scandal. (Fp)