Doctor removes incorrect rib, woman claims medical malpractice
A patient who was to undergo a relatively simple procedure is now suing a doctor at an out-of-state hospital after he reportedly removed the wrong part of her body during the operation. The woman’s suit claims that, during the operation, the doctor not only removed the wrong rib, but afterwards allegedly attempted to convince her that he had never made the mistake in the first place. When Pennsylvania residents suffer similarly at the hands of medical professionals, they are typically entitled to file medical malpractice suits against the responsible party or parties.
The 60-year-old out-of-state woman’s procedure that involved having her eighth rib removed was scheduled for May 2015. The operation was deemed necessary, as the woman had contracted a lesion on that rib. However, after the procedure was complete, the woman was reportedly still experiencing pain in that same area. An x-ray revealed that the doctor had not only removed the incorrect rib, but some of the metal coils that had been used in the operation were also left inside of the woman.
The woman’s suit explained that another doctor—who was not involved in the surgery—informed the woman of the mistake and proceeded to book her for a follow-up surgery to be performed the next day. Before this could occur, the doctor, a resident, who had originally operated on the woman, informed her that the follow-up surgery was not due to him removing the wrong rib, but that he had not removed enough of it. Yale-New Haven Hospital has acknowledged that the doctor had made an error and planned to immediately report it to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
When medical malpractice suits in a Pennsylvania civil court are successfully navigated, these types of claims might result in the entry of monetary judgments for damages sustained by the victims. These judgments can help lessen some of the typical associated costs experienced by those who have suffered similar kinds of injuries. This process is begun by a victim consulting an experienced personal injury attorney in order to assess the validity of his or her claim.
Source: medicaldaily.com, “Medical Malpractice Suit: Doctor Removes Wrong Rib During Surgery, Lies To Cover Up Mistake”, Dana Dovey, March 25, 2016
