Former patients have settled nine of 27 medical malpractice cases brought against Dr. Anthony Mauriello, a Lancaster orthopedist.

The patients ended their cases in exchange for an unspecified amount paid by the physician's insurance company and an agreement not to reveal details of the settlements.

No other county doctor has ever been sued as many as 27 times. No other county doctor has ever settled as many as nine cases.

Mauriello, 44, a former president of the Lancaster City and County Medical Society, could not be located.

His primary attorney, Daniel Grill, of Harrisburg, did not return a telephone call.

At least five other cases against Mauriello are moving forward, including one that is being considered by the state Supreme Court on appeal. The appealed case and one other ongoing case involve patient deaths.

Twelve of the other cases have been discontinued by the patients or dismissed by the Court of Common Pleas. Both cases filed last year have been discontinued.

Another case was opened in April. The complaint in that case has not yet been filed.

No case has gone to trial.

Most of the 27 cases, filed from 2002 through last month, involve operations to replace or repair knees or hips. The latest case involves a wrist operation.

Despite this record of malpractice lawsuits and settlements, the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine renewed Mauriello's license to practice in December. The license is valid through the end of 2010.

Mauriello no longer has operating privileges in any county hospital and has not performed surgeries in Lancaster County since last 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.

Most of the lawsuits against Mauriello also named the hospitals where he operated and PAL.

Mauriello practiced through the end of last year in an office at 554 N. Duke St.

He said in December that he would be on medical leave for "several weeks or several months" but would return to his practice.

A receptionist at 554 N. Duke St. said this week that the doctor remains on "administrative leave" and that he left no forwarding telephone number.

A New Era story last November identified four of the nine suits settled against Mauriello.

Here are brief descriptions of the latest five cases settled in January and February. They are listed in the order in which they were filed.


Smith Case


Kathleen and Edward Smith, of Ephrata, sued Mauriello, PAL and Lancaster Regional Medical Center in July 2006.

They claimed that Mauriello failed to size and implant properly replacements for Kathleen Smith's knees in an operation at Lancaster Regional in July 2004.

Another local orthopedist redid Smith's right knee and she continued to have pain in her left knee, according to the lawsuit.

The suit was settled in January.


Hagen Case


Richard and Lori Hagen, of Lancaster, sued Mauriello, PAL and Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center in September 2006.

Mauriello operated to replace Richard Hagen's left knee in September 2004 and again in November 2005. The lawsuit claimed Hagen continued to have pain.

The suit was settled in January.


Reinhart Case


Ann Reinhart, of Quarryville, sued Mauriello, PAL and Lancaster Regional in October 2006.

She claimed that Mauriello failed to properly size and implant a right knee replacement in an October 2004 operation and failed to treat an ensuing disability.

Another local orthopedist replaced Reinhart's knee and repaired tendon damage associated with the "ill-fitting" implant, according to the suit.

The suit was settled in January.


Rutter Case


Margaret and John Rutter, of Marietta, sued Mauriello, PAL and Lancaster Regional in February 2007.

Mauriello replaced Mrs. Rutter's left knee in February 2005, according to the suit, but she continued to have pain.

According to the suit, an orthopedist at Hershey Medical Center found that Mrs. Rutter's knee replacement was oversized and replaced it with a smaller implant.

The suit was settled in January.


Owens Case


Deborah A. Owens, of Lancaster, sued Mauriello, Penn Orthopedics and Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center in September 2007.

Owens claimed she suffered "serious permanent injuries" as a result of Mauriello's surgery on her fractured right wrist at the medical center in February 2007.

According to the suit, X-rays taken by a second doctor showed that Mauriello had not removed "drill guides for the implant" and had inserted screws that were too long.

The suit said a third doctor corrected the surgery and advised Owens that her nerves were damaged as "a result of Dr. Mauriello's surgical errors."

The suit was settled in February.


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