Dr. Anthony Mauriello, a Lancaster orthopedic surgeon who has been sued 26 times for medical malpractice, has had four of those lawsuits settled by payments to patients.

These settlements have altered Mauriello's relationship with the medical community.

Mauriello no longer has operating privileges at any local hospital. The doctor performed his last operations at Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center near Lititz this past summer.

He also is no longer employed by Physicians Alliance Ltd., also known as PAL, a medical management company that had hired him as a specialist for several years.

Mauriello, 43, is a former president of the Lancaster City and County Medical Society. He still practices with Dr. Robert S. Mathews, another orthopedic surgeon, at Penn Orthopedics of Lancaster Ltd., 554 N. Duke St.

Penn Orthopedics performs outpatient surgery, among other procedures.

The medical negligence claims against Mauriello were settled after four patients sued the doctor following operations on their knees or hips.

Another 10 of the 26 cases have been dismissed by or been discontinued in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.

The cases were dismissed because the patients decided to discontinue them for undisclosed reasons or because the patients did not get expert doctors to certify the merits of their claims.

Twelve cases against Mauriello are moving forward. The oldest of these was filed in late 2004, the most recent in January. One involves a patient death.

None of the 26 lawsuits has gone to trial.

All suits were filed since 2002, three years after Mauriello began practicing medicine in Lancaster. Two suits have been filed this year, one of which has been discontinued.

Mauriello's lawsuits make up 16 percent of all malpractice actions formally registered in the Lancaster County Prothonotary's Office from 2002 through the end of October.

No other Lancaster physician has been sued more than three times during that period.

One case settled in November 2006 and one settled in July had been filed against Mauriello and his former medical practice, Midstate Orthopaedics.

The other two cases, also settled in July, had been filed against Mauriello, PAL and Lancaster Regional Medical Center on College Avenue.

In the latter cases, patients settled on a joint tort basis with Mauriello and PAL. The complaints against Regional in both cases remain unsettled and are moving forward.

Lee Myers, PAL's chief executive officer, says PAL stopped employing Mauriello "a couple of years ago" because "where there are malpractice cases, they tend to go after the company (PAL) as well as the doctor."

Mauriello no longer has operating privileges at either Regional or Heart of Lancaster, according to George Miller, CEO of both hospitals.

Mauriello stopped operating at Lancaster General Hospital several years ago.

Most of the dozen ongoing cases were filed against Mauriello, PAL and Regional. The most recent cases were filed against Mauriello, PAL and Heart of Lancaster, where Mauriello last operated.

The amounts paid in the settlements are not a matter of public record. None of the patients or attorneys involved would reveal settlement amounts.

"We try to get our cases resolved, so that people can go on with their lives. Confidentiality is typically negotiated as part of that process," commented Thomas Hall, a Lancaster attorney handling several of the cases against Mauriello.

Mauriello did not respond to a request for comment on his situation.

One of his attorneys, Daniel Grill, of Harrisburg, said he has no comment.

Here are brief descriptions of the four settled cases, beginning with those settled in July.


Tripple Case


Sandra and the late Clyde Tripple, 102 Chelsea Loop, sued Mauriello in January 2006, claiming that Mrs. Tripple could not work full time after Mauriello replaced both of her knees at Lancaster Regional Medical Center in 2004.

Mauriello assured Mrs. Tripple that "nothing was wrong, and that her symptoms would dissipate over time," according to the lawsuit.

Mrs. Tripple sought a second opinion from Dr. Thomas J. Renz, a local orthopedic surgeon. Renz redid Mrs. Tripple's left knee replacement.

Mauriello and PAL settled with the Tripples on July 14. The case against Lancaster Regional continues.


Snare Case


Marjorie and James Snare, of Huntingdon, sued Mauriello in 2005. They claimed that the doctor, while performing a right knee replacement in 2003, crushed or severed nerves in Mrs. Snare's leg, causing severe incapacitation.

Mauriello "negligently failed to intervene to correct or remedy the problem," according the lawsuit.

Other doctors examined Mrs. Snare, who was 72 at the time of the surgery, and recommended an ankle brace and further treatment, according to the lawsuit.

Mauriello and PAL settled with the Snares on July 14. The case continues against the hospital.


Kirsch case


Diane and the late Frank Kirsch, formerly of 649 Wyncroft Lane, sued Mauriello in 2004. They claimed that the doctor operated negligently on Mrs. Kirsch's left leg and hip three times in 2002 at Lancaster Regional.

Mrs. Kirsch, who was 59 at the time of the surgery, had continuing problems, so she consulted Dr. William Parrish at Hershey Medical Center. He determined that Mrs. Kirsch's hip replacement was improperly inserted.

Parrish removed the artificial hip and inserted a new one.

Mauriello settled with the Kirsches on July 7.


Clinite Case


Patti and Timothy Clinite, of Landisville, sued Mauriello in March 2006. They claimed Mauriello negligently replaced Mrs. Clinite's left knee in 2004 at Lancaster Regional.

Mrs. Clinite was unable to walk because of the pain and weakness in the left knee, according to the lawsuit. She consulted Dr. Jack Schilling, a local orthopedist, who redid the knee replacement.

Mauriello settled with the Clinites in November 2006, only eight months after they filed the suit.


Staff writer Jack Brubaker can be reached at jbrubaker@LNPnews.com or 291-8781.