Our Case:*Ms. S was a 35 year old woman who entered the hospital for a laparacopic procedure to remove gallstones and her gallbladder (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy).
She began to experience significant pain and symptoms following this fairly routine procedure. An ERCP (a type of diagnostic study) was performed which demonstrated that the doctor had placed surgical clips across the proximal common duct, causing an obstruction. She was taken back in for surgery which revealed extensive injury to the rest of the ductal system from either the clips or instruments used during the procedure.
Ms. S was required to wear an external bag to act as an artificial drainage system for bile. She endured this humiliation for a number of months, having to change the bag 6-9 times daily. Surgery to reverse the external drainage led to additional complications leaving Ms. S permanently disabled.
Why the Defendants were Negligent: The doctor performing the surgery failed to take the time to identify anatomical structures within Ms. S which would have permitted him to safely perform the surgery without injury to any other structure. The improperly placed clipped ruined the bile duct system. No attending physician saw the patient in the hospital after the procedure until she became symptomatic and severely ill.
Under Pennsylvania law the doctor committing malpractice during the surgery is responsible for all of the subsequent harm relating to that malpractice, including the failed subsequent surgeries and disability.
The Verdict: The Lewis Law Firm, PC was able to recover a substantial monetary settlement of this matter prior to trial.
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