Wife Almost Died!!!!

What is the name of your state?KY
My wife went in for a D&C and the Doctor almost killed her. He told me that he didn't even do the whole procedure because he seen fatty tissue so he had to quit. When I asked him what the fatty tissue was he said that he didn't know and that he sent it off for test. He put her in the recovery room for 3-4 hours. My wife ended up going into spetic shock and almost dying. The recovery nurse didn't do anything when the labs came back from the blood work that showed that the red and white blood cells were all messed up. (That was an hour before the test results of the fatty tissue.)The only time somebody did anything was when they got the results showing the fatty tissue was a piece of my wifes bowel. She was on the vent for 3 days. They had to leave her open for a week to get all the infection out. She had a bag on her side for 3 monthes to give her bowels and colon time to recover. Come to find out the doctor put 2 holes in her uterues, a 4 cm hole in her colon, and scraped away about foot of her bowel. I know all of this because we have recieved most of her records but not all of them from the hospital.

We are still missing opertive notes, nurses notes, blood work lab results, blood pressure results, temperture results, physical ther notes, notes were she was on a vent, and alot of otherthings. It seems as if the hospital doesn't want to give us those records or they just disappeared from my wifes records that they gave us. But they where in the other doctors that my wife sees records.

I was just wondering what kind of trouble the doctor and the recovery nurse can get into for not doing a better job? I thought that the recovery nurse is the one that is suppose to watch for warning signs if something is going wrong? And what kind of trouble can the hospital get into if any???

tphillips78
Your wife should obtain legal counsel as soon as possible so that the statute of limitations does not run out or become too close to ending before an attorney has a chance to review this claim.

The missing hospital records are probably not in the hospital anymore and are 'under lock and key'. An attorney will be able to gain access to the records and copies of the same.

The surgeon had a pretty good idea as to what had happened when he stopped the procedure and sent the specimen to the lab. You can bet the recovery room staff was informed, too. The recovery room staff could not have done anything to prevent damages. You haven't stated (and probably are not aware of) communication from the lab to the physician.

Several issues in your description of events lead me to believe the surgeon knew during surgery that this event was more than an unusual finding and that through some error on his part, a serious risk of this kind of surgery became an unnecessary event that resulted in significant damages to your wife.

Focus on the surgeon and the hospital and forget about trying to blame the recovery room nurses for something over which they had no control, not even if they had done everything letter-perfect.

Get legal counsel ASAP.

Best wishes,
EC

I found out that

I found out that the lab tried to get ahold of the doctor 2 hours before the doctor ever did anything but for some reason they could not reach him. All of this was in the records that we finally got from the hospital after our lawyer got onto them about the records missing.

We also found out that the doctor that did this to my wife didn't finish my wife oper. notes until May 3, 2004. My wife had this done in Feb. 2004. All the other doctors that were called in had there's done with in 2 to 3 days after they were done. I guess this docto knows he is in trouble. The lawyer said that from what they seen so for on the records the they have been doctored. The notes and the records the doctor that did this to my wife contridict each other. Plus the other doctor that saved my wifes life tell a totally different story. So we shall see soon. Our lawyer sent the records of to an experts to look at. Thanks for you replys.

tphillips78

Thank you for posting a follow-up. I imagine your attorney told you that if the records have been 'doctored', it's usually considered an admission of guilt and is very difficult to justify.

Best wishes,
EC

ellencee

Thanks for the replies and the lawyer has told us that but also said that we still need to send the records to an expert. That way if the doctor wants to put up a fight he won't have a leg to stand on. I don't believe in BS lawsuits but my wife only went into the hospital for a DNC and almost died.

Then to top in off the doctor trys to say in the records that he talked to my wife when she was in a coma and on the vent. Saying she told him that she was recieving great care. I can't believe he would even try to put that in her records when she was in a coma and on a vent for 3 days. He only came up there 2 days to see her then left for vaction for 2 weeks. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again for your replies.

Actually I would disagree

Especially in this case. Over 100,000 medical files a year get lost. Although its reasonable to believe that there was a little intrinsic fraud perhaps, but proving that is much harder. If records get lost it doesn't automatically mean you win.... In fact many, many cases involving battery, breach of duty of care, lack of informed consent, somehow vanish all the time. The Doctor of course has the answer, a summary chart. In which he intricately covers up his mistakes. Really quite brilliant... Because in negligence you have to prove things with the perponderance of evidence.. A simple slip of the records in the paper shredder usually ends that....


Just an analysis from a law student...

A simple slip of the records in the paper shredder usually ends that....

Click to expand...

Yeah--just stuff the nurses, the anesthesist, the lab techs, the pathologist, the patient, the spouse, the testifying expert, and the paper into the shredder--another medmal suit averted.

Study hard.

EC

Ha Ha... All I am saying is that Hospitals are not foreign to making intentional reckless and wanton mistakes when it comes to the placement of records. Especially if the hospital feels like there is liability to the hospital.... I could name you over 50 cases where records seemingly disappeared and summary diagnosis were admitted into court records. In fact in constructive fraud cases we find them quite often.. Think back to the two fires case in torts.. Where there is mutiple tortfeasors, it is likely that there will be multiple cover ups to protect those individuals who caused the fire and the fact that the cabin consequently burned down is disregarded... All I am saying is that if you are taking on the medical system, free advice is not what you need, you need expert advice from experienced professionals...
Cheers
Randy
just a law student

RandallFabiano said:

Ha Ha... All I am saying is that Hospitals are not foreign to making intentional reckless and wanton mistakes when it comes to the placement of records. Especially if the hospital feels like there is liability to the hospital.... I could name you over 50 cases where records seemingly disappeared and summary diagnosis were admitted into court records. In fact in constructive fraud cases we find them quite often.. Think back to the two fires case in torts.. Where there is mutiple tortfeasors, it is likely that there will be multiple cover ups to protect those individuals who caused the fire and the fact that the cabin consequently burned down is disregarded... All I am saying is that if you are taking on the medical system, free advice is not what you need, you need expert advice from experienced professionals...
Cheers
Randy
just a law student

Click to expand...

**A: Ok, you're on. Name the over 50 cases.

The expert that our lawyer sent the records to teaches hospitals how to keep records plus is a top surgeon in Caly. He also teaches at a College. I don't remeber his name. He already said that my wife had areally good cause just talking to our lawyers but still needed to look over the medical records so if it goes to trial. I don't get how a doctor that does DNCs all the time can scrap away 1'1/2 feet of your bowel and put 2 holes in your colon.

I forgot to put that we also found that out in the records too. The holes in her colon were 3 cm and 4 cm. Which our lawyer said were pretty big holes. It also said in the records that the doctor that did the DNC stopped at first because he felt some resistance. Then he pulled out and went back in and felt no resistance. He then did a 360 degree turn with the instrument and started scrapping away. My thought was if he felt resistance way not stop. It also said something in the records about him not beening able to see what he was doing. It also said that he closed my wife up and put her in ICU. My wife was left open for a week to let the infection out that he caused when he put holes in her colon and scrapped away a 1 1/2 of her bowel. I know this for a fact along with my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, friends of the family and the doctor who had to close her back up. It doesn't make sense to lie about stuff that so many people know about. Plus it's in the other 3 doctors records.

tphillips78

Don't let this thread upset you. Hang with your attorney and the expert.

EC

Ellencee

I don't let it upset me. I just left you out somethings that I remebered. So I thought I would let you know along with some other people on here. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again. Ellencee

My wife is back in the hospital.

My wife is back in the hospital having problems with her bowels. They might have to do surg. again. I talked to the lawyers the other day and they said that there was still records missing from the hospital. I don't see how they can still be missing records after a lawyer asked for them. The lawyers also said that we should hear from the expert this week or the begining of next week. I'll keep you updated.

tphillips78
I wish the best for your wife's recovery. Different surgeon, I hope? Different hospital, too!

Thanks for the update.
EC

Ellencee

Different hospital and everything. Thanks for the wish. I'll keep you updated.