Sanford Health, neurosurgeon facing lawsuit

Two doctors employed by Sanford Health are suing the company and one of its neurosurgeons

The lawsuit claims the hospital and the surgeon have been defrauding the federal government and harming patients by performing unnecessary surgeries.

Dustin Bechtold and Bryan Wellman filed the lawsuit in 2016. The case was unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday.

The complaint says Sanford Health has been buying medical devices from a company owned by Dr. Wilson Asfora, claiming the surgeon uses the devices in unnecessary spine surgeries.

Sanford and Dr. Asfora allegedly billed Medicare for care that was never provided.

In a statement to KSFY, Sanford Sioux Fall President Paul Hanson said, "Dr. Wilson Asfora is a talented surgeon, and we are confident in the care provided to our patients. The allegations in this lawsuit have been investigated and were found to have no merit. We’re confident the court system will agree – although it will likely be a long, drawn-out process which, from our understanding, could take up to five years."