Centerpoint doctor ignored man’s abnormal heart rates before he died, lawsuit alleges
A widow is suing Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, where her husband died after doctors allegedly ignored his abnormal heart readings before his surgery, according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Krista Saffold alleges that Centerpoint and her husband’s anesthesiologist and nurse are liable for medical malpractice because a cardiologist was not consulted after two abnormal electrocardiogram (EKG) results before her husband’s last surgery.
Saffold’s attorneys did not respond to The Star’s request for comment before publication.
Officials with HCA Midwest Health, the company that owns the hospital, released a statement to The Star stating they cannot comment on a patient’s medical care without signed consent.
“Centerpoint Medical Center’s top priority is providing high-quality, compassionate and safe healthcare to the patients in our community. The death of a loved one is incredibly difficult, and our hearts go out to this family,” HCA Midwest Health spokeswoman Christine Hamele said.
Saffold’s husband, Edmond Saffold, died on Sept. 1, 2023, while a patient at Centerpoint after a procedure where he was placed under anesthesia.
In January 2023, Edmond Saffold underwent back surgery without incident, the lawsuit says. On the morning of the surgery, an EKG showed sinus rhythm with 1st-degree atrioventricular (AV) block and a possible anterior myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
A 1st-degree AV block is a mild form of arrhythmia that causes an abnormal heartbeat due to a delay in the electrical signals passing from the atria to the ventricles through the atrioventricular node, according to Yale Medicine.
Surgery after a car wreck, EKG shows signs of trouble
Edmond Saffold was in a car wreck on Aug. 20, 2023, and broke his left tibia into several pieces. Before Saffold had surgery at the hospital the next day, his EKG showed a sinus arrhythmia, a delay in the right ventricle, and a possible septal infarction, the lawsuit alleges.
A septal infarction is when the blood supply to the septum of the heart, the muscular wall that divides the left and right sides of the heart, becomes blocked, typically due to myocardial infarction, or heart attack, according to Medical News Today.
Saffold underwent surgery without incident and was discharged two days later. He returned to the hospital on Sept. 1 to follow up and remove external hardware.
Saffold was placed under anesthesia during the procedure and given several different drugs as his heart rate and blood pressure fluctuated. After the procedure, Saffold was transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit, where a 12-lead EKG showed sinus tachycardia (over 100 beats a minute in normal rhythm), right bundle branch block, and a possible inferior myocardial infarction, the lawsuit says.
A right bundle branch block is an obstacle in the right bundle branch that makes a heartbeat signal late and out of sync with the left bundle branch, creating an irregular heartbeat. The block does not go away, and it usually is not serious, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Cardiologist was not consulted, lawsuit alleges
A cardiologist was not consulted or requested at any time, the suit alleges. An autopsy showed that Saffold had an enlarged heart and significant coronary artery disease, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges Saffold was unstable during the procedure, and the anesthesiologist and nurse failed to give him proper medical intervention to save his life.
Krista Saffold is seeking more than $75,000 in damages in a jury trial.
This story was originally published June 14, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
