Suing seems to be controversial so... here we go.

So as the regulars in CC know, my son has Trisomy 21 and was in the NICU for eight weeks. When he was born, I was made aware that he has PPHN (Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns) and two holes in his heart (PDA and VSD which has been 4mm since birth). The PDA closed in the NICU. I was told by the cardiologist that his VSD was closing.

A month after he got out of the NICU he had his appointment with cardiology, the same cardiologist that took care of his case in the NICU. They asked questions, I filled out paperwork, and they did an echo on him. During that appointment I talked with the cardiologist and asked three specific questions which goes as follows:

1. How big is the VSD now?

2. Is his PPHN resolved?

3. Is he cleared to fly? (I was planning a trip to go back home)

His answers were, the VSD is two millimeters in diameter, if not closed already based on the echo. The cardiologist couldn't tell he had PPHN on the echo so it's resolved. He also cleared my son to fly. So fast forward another month, we fly home.

Fast forward another month, my son starts vomiting and is having diarrhea. I take him into the ER because I'm concerned his gtube (feeding tube) has become dislodged or malfunctioned. We were there for a while and we were about to be discharged. They checked his oxygen levels (saturation) and he was satting in the 80s (he needs to be above 94) so they put him on oxygen. We get transferred to another hospital (one of the top five in the country) more equipped to handle his needs. They do an echo.

The next morning they informed me he has TWO holes in his heart. A VSD and an ASD. The VSD is still at it's original size (4mm) and his Pulmonary Hypertension is still there. I was informed that the PH can go back and forth so I'm understanding of that. Now my son needs open heart surgery to repair his heart to treat the PH. He's already had two surgical procedures and he's only five months old. He also shouldn't have been on an airplane.

Bottom line is, I'm pissed that the cardiologist and the hospital dropped the ball. I also had an issue a week after his gtube surgery. He had his gtube for a week and when I wasn't there, a nurse deflated the balloon to his gtube which holds it inside his stomach. The gtube fell out and the hole got smaller so he had to go back into the OR to replace the gtube. The surgeon confirmed the gtube didn't malfunction but refused to tell me the nurse on duty the night prior deflated the balloon. I had my suspicion confirmed by two employees at the hospital.

Currently I'm looking to file a suit against the cardiologist and potentially the hospital for medical malpractice. I've been told by multiple people that I should sue. The holes in his heart should've been caught. He shouldn't have been on an airplane. I'm so angry and just want input from CC.

TL;DR: A cardiologist put my son at risk by not informing me or not finding another hole in his heart and not informing me of how big a preexisting hole in his heart is.