$7,700,000 Settlement for Failure to Diagnose Conditions Post-Operatively

This case involved a young woman who suffered very extensive complications after gastric bypass surgery done at a local teaching hospital. The surgeon who performed the operation had not previously done many of these procedures. He did it on a Friday in late June, when he had been told by the department chairman that there would be limited resident coverage over the weekend, and he was not on call over the weekend. The residents and nurse caring for the patient failed to recognize her worsening post-operative condition which was caused by a segment of the bowel becoming entrapped, which cut off its blood supply. By the next Monday morning, there was a major intra-abdominal catastrophe. The patient had numerous surgeries to repair the damage to her bowel and abdomen, and was in and out of the hospital and rehabilitation for almost 2 years. She suffered numerous complications to many parts of her body from repeated infections and malnutrition caused by the removal of large segments of her bowel. She also sustained post-traumatic stress. The case settled for a total of $7,700,000.