Dana Carvey's Wrong-Artery Surgery Lawsuit

In March 1998, American comedian and actor Dana Carvey underwent double bypass surgery at Marin General Hospital for a blocked coronary artery, but the surgeon bypassed a healthy artery instead. The intended artery lay deep in Carvey's heart muscle and remained blocked, leaving him with angina until doctors cleared it through an angioplasty in May 1998. Carvey sued the surgeon for $7.5 million in San Francisco Superior Court, and they settled the case in May 2000 for an undisclosed amount. Carvey said he would divide the settlement among several charities, with most supporting cardiac research.

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