Incomplete surgery forces woman to undergo subsequent procedure

With growing publicity about the rate of medical errors in the United States, more and more people have become aware of the scope of this problem. Pennsylvania residents must simultaneously trust their physicians and other care providers yet must always remain alert for potential problems. One surgeon mistake can lead to multiple subsequent problems.

Surgical errors can include many types of problems such as when a piece of surgical equipment left inside a patient is later found. Sometimes a worsened condition results from a problem or negligent act. A story in the news recently reported on the case of a woman in Ohio who has filed a lawsuit against a surgeon and the Board of Governors for the Marshall University. The reason for the lawsuit is an alleged error and incomplete surgery that she received in August 2011.

In September of 2012, a visit to a second hospital indicated that part of her gallbladder was intact and contained gallstones. The month before, she had undergone surgery to remove the gallbladder. This procedure was taken after multiple visits to the doctor complaining of abdominal pain. The woman was forced to undergo a second operation to fully remove the organ. Through her lawsuit, she is seeking compensation and punitive damages as well.

Stories like this one illustrate the need for patients to be educated and to work to get proper treatment. If questions arise, talking with an attorney may be helpful as well. Every person deserves the right to proper medical care and to compensation when problems occur.

Source: The West Virginia Record, “Marshall Board of Governors named in medical malpractice suit,” Anne Cosby, April 2, 2014