Women who deliver babies via C-sections are likely to have many concerns
about recovery after the operation. A Cesarean section is a major surgery
that requires the coordinated efforts of skilled doctors and nurses in
the operating room. While most C-sections result in healthy babies and
tired yet happy mothers, sometimes medical mistakes occur that end in
worsened medical conditions or tragic deaths.
This past April, a
wrongful death suit was filed regarding the death of a 23-year-old mother in September
of 2013. The lawsuit, which was filed against Del Sol Medical Center in
El Paso, claims that the young woman died as a result of a pulmonary embolism
brought about by dangerous blood clots. The clots in her lungs were formed
due to inadequate turning and physical therapy, the suit alleges. The
medical center has denied the claims and has demanded proof of the allegations.
The deceased woman’s harrowing experience began after she gave birth
via C-section over two years ago. Following the surgery, the woman had
to return to the hospital because her C-section incision was infected.
According to the woman’s sisters, during this hospital stay she was
diagnosed with a dangerous staph infection called MRSA. The infection,
which involves bacteria resistant to certain drugs, manifests as abscesses
or boils on the patient’s skin.
About seven months after having her baby, the woman returned to the hospital
again for an abscess in her neck. She received surgery on her spine from
a doctor trained as an ear, nose and throat specialist. She emerged from
that hospital stay a quadriplegic because, according to her family, the
doctor was negligent and compromised the medulla oblongata pons. The suit
claims the woman eventually lost weight, became dehydrated, developed
blood clots in her lungs and ultimately suffered a deadly pulmonary embolism.
A fatal accident in a hospital setting is often an avoidable incident of
negligence. It’s crucial that the doctors who perform surgeries of
any kind are properly trained in surgical procedures and the treatment
of any complications afterward. Those who have lost a loved one during
or after birth may wish to schedule a consultation with a Houston medical
malpractice law firm.
Source: KVIA, “Del Sol Medical Center facing wrongful death lawsuit,” Stephanie Valle, June 17, 2015