In article ,
Ron Wanttaja wrote:

Stealth Pilot wrote:

I could be jaundiced here but surely the drugs were prescribed.
was the real failure a failure of the american medical system to
diagnose and correctly treat his blocked anterior artery?

Certainly, I'd say the drugs were prescribed.

As far as failure to diagnose the problem, check the NTSB report again:

"The pilot¹s most recent application for airman medical certificate in
May 2007 noted a ³precautionary² coronary angiogram in 2006 which
³showed no blockage.² ... Records obtained from the pilot¹s cardiologist
regarding the angiogram (performed September 25, 2006) noted a ³totally
occluded² small left anterior descending coronary artery with ³good
collaterals² and otherwise normal coronary arteries."

So the diagnosis had been made. Phillips knew he had a problem; this
angiogram was performed over a year before his death. We don't know if
there had been any treatment other than drugs. I suspect not; his
cardiologist would probably have noted it on his records and it would
have been mentioned in the NTSB report.

There could have been many reasons why Phillips didn't have surgery to
alleviate the problem. Denial is common enough... "I feel fine...there
isn't a problem!"

Exactly. The doctor would not have been likely to prescribe surgery, but
keep an eye peeled for further developments. Even something are
relatively simple as installing a stent has some risk associated with
it, and you're looking at a year or three of follow up medications,
lifestyle changes.

Just installing a stent, with nothing else done, can increase the risk
of inducing a coronary by generating blood clots.