Gynecology Malpractice Archives - Elite Medical Experts

Surgical Instrument Left Inside

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

Mary Harber of Susanville, CA, went to the hospital to have a benign tumor removed from her abdomen in April 2017. She is suing Shasta Regional Medical Center and Dr. Richard Mooney for medical negligence after an 8-inch long surgical instrument was left inside her during exploratory surgery. Dr. Mooney is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Redding, California, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Mercy Medical Center Redding and Shasta Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Harber was discharged from Shasta Regional on April 19, 2017, but experienced severe pain in her back, abdomen, and kidney. ER doctors at Banner Lassen Medical Center discovered the forceps inside her on May 1, 2017.

The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert Issue 51: Preventing unintended retained foreign objects, (October 17, 2013) states:

The unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs) – also called retained surgical items (RSIs) – after invasive procedures can cause death, and surviving patients may sustain both physical and emotional harm, depending on the type of object retained and the length of time it is retained. There may be an extended time frame between occurrence and detection of an URFO. Retained foreign objects are most commonly detected immediately post-procedure; by X-ray; during routine follow-up visits; or from the patient’s report of pain or discomfort.

An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.

The medical negligence lawsuit says Harber had 18 inches of her small intestine removed after “it looped through the handle” of the forceps. The suit describes Harber as needing further medical care and asks for medical and incidental expenses as well as loss of earnings for the past and future.

Gynecologists treat a variety of conditions including cancer, infections, infertility, etc. A gynecology expert witness is commonly needed in medical malpractice cases arising from these surgeries and surgical complications which may develop. Hiring a top medical expert from the nation’s most respected medical institutions adds a powerful voice to your litigation team. Contact ELITE Medical Experts to be connected with the expert witness who fits the needs of your case.

Pelvic Surgery Complications

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

Maria D. Ramirez has filed a medical malpractice complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against Presence Chicago Hospitals Network. She was admitted to the hospital in 2014 for removal of an ovarian cyst and suffered bowel perforation during the procedure. Ramirez experienced pain and incurred medical costs which she is seeking to recover. A bowel perforation is a surgical emergency, requiring immediate treatment to prevent further complications such as infection or death. The plaintiff states the hospital staff failed to obtain a surgical consultation in a timely manner or properly diagnose the bowel perforation. Patients with this condition often need surgery to repair the perforation and remove any waste material that has leaked from the intestine into the abdominal cavity.

Gynecology expert witnesses are needed to consult on both standard of care and causation in complex medical malpractice cases such as this. These experts are trained to write reports and testify regarding allegations of negligence following gynecologic surgery. Pelvic surgery has the potential for unforeseen complications which may involve ureteral, bladder, or bowel injury. The expert witness analysis on how the medical team handled the surgical complication is essential in a malpractice case such as Ramirez v. Presence Chicago Hospitals Network, et al.

$1.8M OB/GYN Medical Malpractice Award

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Burton Bentley II, M.D FAAEM

A New London, CT, jury awarded $1.8M to plaintiff Rebecca Simonds in a medical malpractice case against obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Taylor Hotchkiss. During Simonds’s appendectomy in May of 2011, Hotchkiss came into the operating room to perform surgery on an abscess on the patient’s right Fallopian tube. In this case, the wrong Fallopian tube was cut during the procedure resulting in Ms. Simonds becoming infertile and having to undergo additional surgery.

The gynecology expert witness may consult and testify in medical malpractice cases arising from OB/GYN surgery and the complications that may ensue. Gynecology experts are necessary in litigation regarding standard of care and causation in complex medical cases such as Simonds v. Hotchkiss. Only the most highly trained and credible expert has the knowledge, experience, and judgement to opine on the possible breach of medical duty in a case such as this which may take years to resolve.