Medical Malpractice

Our client underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy and needed extensive “adhesiolysis” (removal of scar tissue) due to the presence of extensive scar tissue from a prior abdominal surgery, so the surgeon utilized an electrocautery instrument to separate the adhesions from her abdominal wall and internal organs.  A known risk of using electrocautery in this procedure is a thermal burn to the bowel that takes several days to break down and cause a bowel perforation.  Surgeons know to look for signs of infection several days after electrocautery, but when our client called repeatedly to the surgeon’s office complaining of severe abdominal pain and a failure to pass gas or feces they simply recommended a laxative, enemas, and ibuprofen and did not examine her or take her vital signs.  Our client did as her surgeon’s office instructed, and she continued to worsen to the point where she has a grossly distended and hard abdomen and was hallucinating, so her family brought her back to the hospital where she was diagnosed immediately with a bowel perforation from a thermal burn. Our client underwent removal of part of her colon and spent nearly a year in various acute, subacute, rehab, and long-term care facilities before finally being able to return home to her family. The claim was successfully settled and the client will receive periodic payments for the rest of her life.