Out-of-state hospital faces medical malpractice suit

A former patient of an out-of-state hospital filed a medical malpractice suit against it recently. The suit alleges that surgical items were left inside the patient after an operation at the hospital. Similarly, when Maryland residents suffer harm at the hands of healthcare professionals, the victims typically choose to file medical malpractice suits against the party or parties deemed responsible.

The suit states that the patient, a man, was admitted to this hospital in Dec. 2013 as a result of gastroesophageal reflux disease and a hiatal hernia. While operating on the man, doctors aborted the operation due to the fact that a large artery was bleeding. The operation was immediately changed to that of a laparotomy — also what’s known as an open abdominal exploration. Doctors and nurses used both pads and sponges to help control the bleeding. Once this was under control, doctors of the Texas hospital proceeded with the original surgery, the suit says.

However, hospital officials realized after the surgery was completed that the proper procedure of accounting for sponges used in the operation was not performed. As a result, a radiographic procedure was utilized to determine if there were any stray sponges. As none were located, the patient was transferred out. According to the suit, the patient later experienced a marked deterioration that resulted in his being placed in the ICU, and after a scan and an additional surgery, two large laparotomy pads leftover from the initial surgery were discovered inside the patient.

The victim suffered a number of additional injuries and had to undergo additional surgeries due to the hospital’s negligence. Similarly, when Maryland residents are treated negligently by healthcare professionals, they are typically entitled to file medical malpractice suits. This process is often begun by consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney, who starts by assessing the validity of the victim’s claims.

Source: WacoTrib.com, “2 Hillcrest patients claim medical malpractice against Baylor S&W“, Tommy Witherspoon, March 5, 2016