2023-11-10 11:13:00
A Washington man has filed a malpractice lawsuit against a hospital and two of its doctors for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery, which nearly cost him his life. New York Post.
“It was a very young year,” George Piano, 72, told USA Today while detailing the alleged incident, which he says happened on Dec. 6, 2022, at Washington University Northwestern Medical Center.
According to the 13-page lawsuit he filed last week, a Lake Forest Park resident visited the facility’s emergency room with abdominal pain, whereupon paramedics diagnosed him with appendicitis and said his appendix should go away.
Things did not go as planned, Piano said.
“When I woke up and recovered from the anesthesia, I was in extreme pain…much worse than when I went to the hospital,” he recalls.
He claims doctors were unable to locate his appendix, and ended up removing part of his lower colon instead.
A CT scan two days later revealed the inflamed appendix was still there, prompting Piano to have it extracted at UWMCN, local CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reported.
Meanwhile, doctors allegedly perforated his colon during the initial operation, causing its contents to leak into his abdominal cavity and making him “sicker.”
“I had a leaky colon that led to sepsis and infection… and I almost died from it,” Piano told KIRO.
Piano said he underwent another surgery to repair his colon and manage the infection.
Personal injury attorney Edward Moore, who represents Piano, called the ordeal “mind-boggling.”
“I’ve never heard of someone who couldn’t locate the appendix…and for it to lead to this kind of harm and disorder is mind-boggling,” Moore told KIRO.
The surgeons were named Nidhi Udyavar and Paul Herman.
A representative for Washington University Medicine said the hospital could not comment on pending litigation, instead providing a statement to USA Today.
“The University of Wisconsin Medical Center strives to provide the best care possible to all of our patients; their safety and well-being are extremely important to us.”
Piano said he underwent four additional surgeries, spent 53 days in the hospital, required an ileostomy bag, lost about 40 pounds, had a billiard ball-sized cut in his abdomen for several months, and suffered from anxiety, short-term memory loss and abdominal pain.
“It’s been a tough ride,” Piano told KIRO.
He is seeking a jury trial and monetary damages.
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