There are many reasons why a Houston woman might need to get a hysterectomy.
The procedure, which removes a woman’s uterus, is sometimes necessary
for those suffering from endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis,
uterine prolapse or certain types of cancer. After the surgery is performed,
recovery generally takes about three to six weeks, and the patient can
expect a variety of physical and emotional feelings after the procedure.
One Texas woman, though, alleges that after her hysterectomy, she was
left in a worsened condition and has since sued for malpractice.
In 2012, the plaintiff went in for a vaginal hysterectomy in Beaumont.
However, right after her laparoscopic-assisted surgery, the woman claims
she experienced horrendous pain; her nurses informed her that such pain
was not common following the surgery. The woman continued to be in pain
for several months before getting a CT scan. According to the principal
surgeon on the woman’s surgery, the scan showed that the retractor
used in the hysterectomy had hit her pubic bone and caused osteititis
and potentially an infection.
As with other pregnancy-related injuries, a botched hysterectomy can cause
severe injury and long-term consequences. Osteititis is an inflammation
of a patient’s bone and can cause many different types of pain as
well as difficulty walking. In this case, the female patient alleged that
following her procedure, she was at times unable to walk. Her medical
malpractice suit seeks damages in excess of $50,000, as well as the costs
of the suit, to compensate for medical expenses, physical pain and impairment
and mental anguish.
Whatever the reason for getting a hysterectomy, patients should be able
to trust that their surgeon is competent and committed to following all
applicable standards of patient care. If those standards are not followed
or if a surgeon makes a reckless or negligent decision in the course of
a surgery, a patient could be quite literally scarred for life. A woman
affected by such negligence can seek assistance from an attorney experienced
in matters affecting pregnancy and women’s health.