A routine open-heart surgery in the US state of Oregon has turned into a high-profile legal battle, raising questions about surgical accountability and, unexpectedly, the quality of medical education in India. Steven and Lori Stokes have filed a $17 million negligence lawsuit against the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Indian-origin pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Ashok Muralidaran in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Their 13-year-old daughter underwent open-heart surgery at OHSU on August 15, 2025, to have a cardiac valve implanted.
After the procedure, her heart failed to resume function and she was placed on ECMO support. The surgical team reassured the family that the operation had gone well and attributed the cardiac failure to post-operative shock. Over the following days, the girl remained in the ICU with an open chest incision. Exploratory surgery was performed but…
