
09-21-2006, 11:46 AM
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1
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Medical malpractice?
Somewhere around Sept 30, 2004 I went to see pcp for a small lump on my stomach. The pcp determined that it was a hernia and referred me to a surgeon. Saw the surgeon on Sept 30 2004 and he diagnosed me with hernia by having me perform a sit up. Was scheduled for surgery the following Monday, Oct 4, 2004. When my husband (at the time) picked me up from recovery we both were alarmed at the size of the bandage which covered my stomach from under my breast bone to just below the belly button. Approximately 6x8 bandage. After arriving home we looked under the bandage to find I had been cut from sternum to stem - 27 stitches (on the outside). Very thick incision, crooked, looks and feels like a that of a centipede. After many months of discomfort, the area under the incision continued to swell and the surgeon could not determine why. After many further visits and lots of antibiotics, I was sent for a sonogram that showed it was a pocket of fluid. On the next visit to surgeons office, he inserted a needle into the area and pulled green fluid which was sent to the lab. It was determined to be old blood and his only remedy was to perform another surgery to insert a drainage tube. We were advised there would only be a very small incision (as I stated that I was not happy with the magnitude of the first surgery) to insert a drainage tube above the belly button. Sometime in January/February 2005 the 2nd surgery was performed. However there was not just a small incision, rather I was cut in the exact same area, same long incision with another small incision above the belly button where the drainage tube was surgically inserted. I was required to drain the bag periodically each day and after 10 days was scheduled to have removed, however it was till draining and was advised to keep it in for another 7 days. My skin had already begun healing around this tube. I went back to have it removed along with the stitches holding the tube in. The surgeon had me hold my breathe while he proceeded to yank the drainage tube (about 10 inches). However it did not pull free as he missed removing a couple stitches. After removing the tube, his nurse came in to remove the stitches and she tore open a few of stitches which has left the botton of the scar much larger than the rest. I went back to see the surgeon for follow up 2 weeks later and he had not returned from the hospital and was asked to make another visit.
The scar is huge, very ugly and there is a pocket of skin that was never there before.
Can you please advise if this malpractice case.
Sincerely yours,
Adriana Bookout
Last edited by roses4dora : 09-21-2006 at 12:11 PM.
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