Cancer surgery has left me disabled.

What is the name of your state? Kansas


I was diagnosed with Parosteal Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone Cancer) on December 16,2003. My right Humerus (bone from the elbow to the shoulder) had a large tumor attached to it. A biopsy was performed on December 24,2003 to get a sample and see if the tumore enveloped the bloodvessels and nerves in the arm. After the biopsy it was confirmed that I had bone cancer and the Doctor/Surgeon assured me that the nerves and bloodvessels were free of the tumor. "all we have to do is pull the nerves and bloodvessels aside and take the bone out and replace it with a metal rod". March 15,2004 was the day of the surgery. Once again the Doctor assured me that even though its a major surgery everything should be "simple" because he had already seen what he needed to see when he did the biopsy. Waking up after the surgery I checked my arm and hand to make sure it was still attached. It was and fingers were wiggling when I tried to move them. A BIG SIGH OF RELEIF. Later that night I started having pains that I had never had any like before. It wasnt at the shoulder where the surgery was performed, but at the elbow all the way down to my hand. Felt like I had my arm over an open flame. The Dr. ordered Morphene and kept upping the dose as I complaint of the worst pain I had ever felt. My arm and hand puffed up to over twice its normal size and was turning purple. after a couple days the Dr. said we might have to amputate.March 19,2003 He sent me for a test where they insert a probe in my groin and follow the blood flow al the way to my arm. They found a severed bloodvessel that was starving my arm and hand of blood. He ordered an Emergency surgery with a Vascular Surgeon. He grefted an artery and bypassed the damaged bloodvessel. While in there he noticed damage to a nerve. Since the swelling went down (approx two months) I have lost all function of my hand. I cannot move my fingers or thumb at all.

I am having a hard time thinking if this is malpractice. I dont want to sue a man that saved my life, but I am wondering if my judgement is somewhat clouded because of that.

Thank you.

CancerSurvivor
It is possible that you have a meritorious claim of negligence/malpractice with significant damages. I suggest you contact a medmal attorney at your earliest convenience.

I believe the most frequent cause of post-op complaints like yours is a "bleeder". It is not the fact that a bleeder existed so much as the neglect of investigating the cause of your complaints. It may be that the MD is not the only professional who may have been negligent. The RNs are responsible for assessing circulatory and neurological function of surgical areas; in your case, that would be the circulatory and neuro status distal to the surgical site. If the bleeder was depriving your lower arm and hand of circulation, deficits should have been detected through assessment, documented, and reported to the surgeon and up the chain of command until someone investigated the cause of the deficits/changes.

Best wishes,
EC