Franklin County (Mo) Circuit Court
A woman presented to her Ob/Gyn with excessive uterine bleeding. The doctor recommended a laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. Some 3 to 15 days postoperatively, the woman experienced fever and abdominal pain.
In the same month, the patient underwent a procedure to remove an infected pelvic hematoma that allegedly occurred during the first procedure. Three days after this surgery, the woman was hospitalized with a high fever and abdominal pain. A subsequent procedure revealed a sigmoid colon perforation. Despite 3 additional surgeries to correct the perforation, the woman still complains of chronic abdominal and pelvic pain.
In suing, the woman claimed the that surgeon for the first 2 procedures negligently inserted contrast material into her colon that spilled into her abdominal pelvic region, causing permanent pain.
The doctor argued that the colon damage was a result of adhesions in her colon or from placement of the first instrument in the first procedure. He also claimed that the patient delayed having a pelvic scan via computed tomography.
- The jury awarded the plaintiff $1.35 million.