Yale Medical School and its hospital, Yale-New Haven Hospital, as well as two surgeons who work at the hospital, are currently being sued for not only removing the wrong body part on a woman who underwent surgery, but allegedly lying about it afterward. The patient evidently woke from anesthesia with severe pain, allegedly due to the rib that was supposed to be taken out still being there, marked with metallic coils to ensure that the surgeons would know to remove that specific rib.
While doctors sometimes do make surgery errors, the victim in this case is also claiming that the surgeon who made this particular error then falsely informed her that the doctors had removed the correct rib, but still recommended that she undergo another surgery to address the pain and disability that she was experiencing because “not enough rib had been taken.” During this second surgery, she claims, is when the correct rib was removed, under the facade that everything went as expected and intended with the first surgery.
Deceptive Practices
Perhaps what is most frustrating to the victim in this case is: she specifically asked that the surgeon who performed the first surgery—who was, in fact, a surgeon in training, and should have been supervised by another, more senior surgeon—not be involved in the second surgery, and the hospital did not honor that minor request. The doctors also did not perform X-rays at any point during the surgery and, in fact, the error never would have been discovered except for the victim complaining of pain. She was evidently in pain for quite a while after the first surgery concluded before staff took an X-ray and saw that the metal markers and lesion (on the rib that was supposed to be removed) were still in her body.
Not only is this case being brought under claims of medical negligence, but also under the state Unfair Trade Practices Act, as the victim feels that the hospital and surgeons’ actions constituted unfair and deceptive business practices.
Medical Malpractice & Surgery Error Attorneys
When medical mistakes are made, and damage is done because of it, often bringing a lawsuit is the only way to ensure that those responsible are held responsible. Health care professionals are under a duty to provide you with a particular standard of care; one that other healthcare professionals in the same field would ordinarily provide you with.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to errors made during surgery, you may want to consult with an attorney experienced in handling surgery errors and medical malpractice. At Dana & Dana, our interest is fighting for victims who have experienced injuries, pain, or distress as a result of negligence. Our office has a history of helping victims of medical malpractice and other acts of negligence. Contact us today for a free consultation.
