A New York woman has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Winthrop University Hospital after suffering serious complications from blood poisoning and gangrene. The lawsuit claims that the surgeon made a mistake while trying to remove an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in the patient losing her legs and suffer from hearing loss.
The lawsuit claims that the surgeon punctured her colon during a laparoscopic procedure to remove an ectopic pregnancy. The mistake led to the patient getting an infection, which caused gangrene and the amputation of the lower part of her legs. The antibiotics the patient received caused hearing loss, and the patient also had to have a colostomy and skin grafts during her stay in the hospital.
The lawsuit claims that the hospital's negligence and failure to detect the hole in her colon caused the patient's infection and eventual disabilities. The patient said she suffered from a fever, pain and abnormal heart rate after the procedure, which should have indicated to the staff that something was wrong. The plaintiff is seeking damages to help pay her medical care and emotional distress.
Lawyers for the hospital say that they acted responsibly with the information they had. The defendants said they did a CT scan after the procedure and it did not show a puncture. The hospital claims the puncture happened after the procedure and they were not negligent in their care. The lawyers also said that the patient knew the risks associated with the procedure, which includes possibly puncturing the intestine or colon.
This medical malpractice case is being heard by a jury in New York to determine if the hospital was negligent and caused the patient's serious complications.
This case is an example of the legal action patients can take after being harmed by a medical or surgical error. Hospitals are supposed to protect patients and if they are negligent, they can face legal action.
Source: New York Daily News, "Woman lost legs because of LI hospital's negligence, lawyer tells Brooklyn jury," John Marzulli, Nov. 4, 2013
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