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Surgical errors may cause physical injury and monetary loss

On Behalf of | Mar 8, 2017 | Surgical Errors

Most Delaware patients would never imagine that symptoms of acid reflux, nausea and vomiting could lead to the loss of their legs. One woman in another state is alleging that surgical errors during an operation to fix her gastrointestinal symptoms may have ultimately led to her double leg amputation. She has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in her state, seeking compensation for the quality of life lost and the medical expenses that have resulted after her surgeries.

According to the lawsuit, the patient opted to undergo bariatric surgery to relieve her symptoms of acid reflux, nausea and vomiting. During her initial recovery, it appeared as if it all went well as she was discharged home to continue healing. Severe pain shortly after her discharge sent her back to an emergency room.

Instead of continuing to recover, the patient was rushed into an exploratory surgery to search for the cause of her pain. According to the lawsuit, the surgery revealed that her internal staples had ripped open and leaked bowel contents into her body cavity. The lawsuit alleges that the instrument used to staple her closed was defective, and the surgeons were not adequately trained on how to use it. After her emergency surgery, the patient was placed in a medical coma. Eventually, the patient’s legs became necrotic and ultimately required a bilateral leg amputation.

After losing both legs the woman states that she is not able to experience life as she did prior to her surgeries. In addition to what she has to overcome physically, she likely is experiencing unexpected financial stress. The aftermath of surgical errors may result in additional medical and therapy expenses as a person attempts to recover. Delaware medical malpractice attorneys are able to advise patients who have similar cases of their litigation rights in civil court.

Source: abc13.com, “Woman who lost her legs sues over surgical stapler“, Pooja Lodhia, March 3, 2017

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