A Maryland hospital has publicly denied legal liability to patients who were unecessarily implanted with coronary stents at the hospital, plaintiffs' attorneys said.

St. Joseph Medical Center began receiving complaints last year that a cardiologist at the hospital, Mark Midei, was implanting stents in patients who did not need them, according to court records. The hospital, located in Towson, suspended the doctor from duty after a review of his records revealed that almost 600 patients had received unnecessary stents. The patients were informed of the mistake and told to seek independent medical advice.

Initially, Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey K. Norman said in an interview that the he "supposed" the hospital shared liability for the mistakes. Now, however, in the wake of several medical malpractice lawsuits, the hospital denies all liability.

The hospital's lawyers are said to be in the process of hiring experts who will argue that Midei's actions were not improper, even though the hospital has revoked his privileges and the hospital's own chief of cardiology, among other staff members, still maintain that his actions were improper.