Scar after surgery. . . Can I sue?

[u00htg2]

What is the name of your state? I currently lived in IL but the incident was in NE.

In 1997, I found swollen lymp nodes on my neck. My doctor was to go in to do a biopsy and at the same time remove 1/2 of my saliva gland since it was so swollen due to my condition. The surgery happened at an outpatient center and I expected to be back on my feet and back to work the next day. It turned out to be a major surgery and I was off work for a month on medical leave.

The thing is, the surgery left a long uprasied scar on the right side of my neck, almost the entire length of my neck. I remembered talking to the doctor and he said scarring is common and my body was over-reacting to the surgery and it developed too many scar tissues. And he said that in time it should be less noticable. It has been 7 years and it's still awful that I'm considering plastic surgery. I'm tired of wearing turtlenecks and scarves on my neck all the time.

Can I sue for the cost of plastic surgery, etc. or is it too late?

[rmet4nzkx]

How old were you at the time of surgery?

[u00htg2]

I was 23 years old at the time of surgery.

[rmet4nzkx]

Then it's past the Statute of Limitations.

Contact your insurance carrier and see if they will do corrective cosmetig surgery.

[reviewphysician]

Originally Posted by u00htg2

What is the name of your state? I currently lived in IL but the incident was in NE.

In 1997, I found swollen lymp nodes on my neck. My doctor was to go in to do a biopsy and at the same time remove 1/2 of my saliva gland since it was so swollen due to my condition. The surgery happened at an outpatient center and I expected to be back on my feet and back to work the next day. It turned out to be a major surgery and I was off work for a month on medical leave.

The thing is, the surgery left a long uprasied scar on the right side of my neck, almost the entire length of my neck. I remembered talking to the doctor and he said scarring is common and my body was over-reacting to the surgery and it developed too many scar tissues. And he said that in time it should be less noticable. It has been 7 years and it's still awful that I'm considering plastic surgery. I'm tired of wearing turtlenecks and scarves on my neck all the time.

Can I sue for the cost of plastic surgery, etc. or is it too late?

For some poorly understood reason some folks are more predisposed to scar formation than the average population. Scar formation is not always due to poor surgical skills. I will suggest you see a dermatologist instead.