In March 2013, a woman was diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis in her knees. The doctor who diagnosed her said that surgery was needed, and that with a double knee replacement, she would feel better. However, shortly after the surgery was performed, it was discovered that the woman’s right leg was not receiving blood and that her foot was “cold.”
A surgeon was notified of this post-op complication, and an emergency surgery was ordered. During that procedure, the surgeon found that an artery was excessively bleeding. Despite the emergency efforts, the medical team couldn’t save the woman’s right leg, so it had to be amputated.
One year later, the woman sued the surgeon and the medical facility where she received care. Recently her lawsuit was settled, and a jury awarded the woman $1.75 million. The woman’s argument that her initial surgery was rushed and negligent.
This is a fairly extreme case, but it exemplifies the terrible aftermath of a botched surgery. Not only was this woman forever changed as a result of the botched surgery, but she also racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt. This can be mentally demoralizing, in addition the obvious physical demoralization that occurs after a botched surgery.
No one should leave a surgery with terrible complications like this, but unfortunately it happens all of the time. When someone is negatively impacts by substandard medical care — regardless of whether a surgery is involved or not — the victim needs to consider his or her legal options.
Source: News Leader, “Amputee receives $1.7M over botched surgery,” Brad Zinn, Dec. 15, 2015
