Many medical patients in Texas will undergo surgeries this year. Some surgical procedures are elective, meaning not medically necessary but desired by the patient for some purpose. Other situations are more urgent, and surgery is determined necessary to save a life or at least improve a declined medical condition. A woman in another state underwent surgery that many doctors have since claimed isn’t usually necessary; the situation led to a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Her doctor recommended it, however, and she trusted in his diagnosis. The woman had a non-cancerous brain tumor. But, most doctors say this type of slow-growing tumor does not have to be removed. Patients simply need to be monitored over time.
About a month after the woman’s surgery, her incision began to leak and she suffered an infection. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection; yet, many medical professionals say such situations typically prompt removal of the meshes that are placed inside people’s skulls after brain surgeries similar to the one the woman had. It wasn’t until much later, when the woman was suffering from daily headaches, that the doctor finally opened her skull back up and removed the mesh.
However, by that time, the mesh itself had become attached to a thin membrane lining the woman’s brain. When the surgeon tried to take it out, the woman suffered severe blood loss and a stroke. She suffered serious cognitive damage after the stroke. The woman filed a medical malpractice claim against the hospital and its clinics, and is seeking approximately $6 million in damages. Anyone facing similar circumstances in Texas may rely on a personal injury attorney for support.
Source: kcrg.com, “Woman asking for $6 million in medical malpractice claim against UIHC“, June 2, 2017