nicked bowel during colon srgery

My father died when I was seven months old in 1930. The surgeon nicked his colon while removing his apendix which resulted in my father getting and dying of gangrene.

Your description of the surgeon's behavior indicates a major error. First in nicking the colon. Second, in not realizing his patient's life was at risk.

I suspect the surgeon was called before the medical staff for an investigation. Would be interesting to learn if there is any record of it.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/gangrene/article_em.htm

BBB

It is legal advice (and something lawyers actually get paid for) to tell you whether you have a case. We do not provide legal advice here on able2know.

However, you can go to many, many personal injury lawyers and get a free initial consultation. Just contact your local Bar Association (they are in the telephone directory) for the names of some firms. Have all of your ducks lined up before you go in for an appointment. As in, names, dates, records. Bring copies, not originals of any documentation you have. You are going in for a consultation and are not retaining anyone. You are just asking whether they think you have a claim.

Shop around a bit as you will undoubtedly be charged 1/3 of any settlement or verdict plus court costs. You're not only looking at price, and how much they think they can get you in a verdict or settlement, you're also looking at how comfortable you are with any particular lawyer or firm. This is why I am suggesting copies and leaving the originals at home -- you are shopping around as if you were buying a car. So long as you are not close to the Statute of Limitations or any sort of time limit for any preliminary filings (requirements vary from state to state, so ask when you go in!), you should have a little time to shop.

Best of luck to you -- and I hope for a full recovery for your husband.

I second this advice.

be SURE you get a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice. Call your local legal referral or ask around.

Yes, bowels get nicked - but don't get neglected. Your husband has been injured, for sure.

Love your sig line, Joe.

It seems as though the nicked bowel is a possible complication that would have been gone over with the consent for surgery. However, I think the complication should have been caught before he suffered so much pain and blood loss.

Yeah, they cover themselves as best they possibly can.

Thanks so much to everyone that replied, I really need advice and help with this I relaize this is not where I would get legal advice but apreciate any insight. I have a child with Cerebral Palsy and I have to take complete care of him from changing diapers to feeding him. He is in a weel chair and dependant on us for his care. Thing is, my husband has a good job, but he has not been able to return to work, he is as weak as the first day he had surgery. This is going on 7 weeks now and we do not know what we will do for income if he cannot return to work! I am on disability for a heart condition so this is really bad!! We have a mortgage that is more than any income I have, so we need help! I know the doctor was negligent! But what if he changes hospital records?? I have retained an attorney, she is getting hospital records this week.

Thanks Marty! He said it was a "touchy" situation where he had to do surgery was some scafr tissue. But, he neve said he wouls wait tn days to do a cat scan and ignore all the signs that even the nurses were alarmed with!

How would I find out this info?

Every hospital has a medical staff committee that evaluates the quality of care. I think the nurses would have reported the surgeon's lack of follow up when the patient had severe problems. The medical staff would be required to investigate the surgeon's quality of care. Your attorney could request a report about the incident as well as a copy of the patient's medical records and notes.

BBB

fantastic!!THANKYOU!

If you have retained a lawyer, then you should step back and let that person gather all the info. You should not be investigating this mess, let the lawyer do it.
I hope you got a medical malpractice lawyer.

yes, I did.thx!

In January 2009 I had a routine laparoscopy. My colon was nicked but the doctors didnt catch it and I was sent home septic- because I signed the waiver that is required for surgery I was told that I didnt have a case. Since then I have been going to the doctors, missing much work, suffer from nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, dizziness, etc; I am sure you and your husband feel broken emotionally physically and financially due to the error of the doctor.
I have done much research into this, which has caused stress and high blood pressure as everyone wanted to help but couldnt. In all honesty, it sounds like your husband went through something similar to me. I was put in a medicated coma and was also in the hospital for 4 weeks~I almost died. My sister came to the hospital every day and made a journal entry. It is under Edit [Moderator]: Link removed. If I can give any advise, I would have to recomend you do all of the calling of the lawyers and have your husband concentrate on healing. I went to the bookstore and purchased many books on natural healing. Emotionally it really helps to bring your faith into play, the power of prayer creates miracles. I would be happy to help you with my personal experiences. I felt very alone and the health care provider took no responsibility, and there was NO ONE that I could talk to that would understand what it was like to go through such hell. This kind of trauma can really make you bitter and angry. That is where faith comes in. There is going to be a silver lining. It may take some time, I am still waiting, hoping and praying that the end of my battle with my pain, finances and emotional turmoil ends soon.
As far as a lawyer, you do have options. It is going to take money, time and you will most likely need to find a healthy stress release (I have been cooking). Start writing EVERYTHING down. Take daily journals, i wish I would have. Start collecting your medical records and if your husband has doctor appointments due to this error, have them print out the information for that day. Highlight any pertinant information. Start a file for the records and get a good labeling system that works for you. Date everything. Have your husband keep his own journal to record his feelings, his outlook and his pains/body issue. When talking to a lawyer, you should have a time line of the event because they are out for money and want to know particular information quickly~most that I talked to were rude and treated me more like a dollar sign rather than a human being. I found it was too hard if it wasnt written down.
Good Luck and God Speed. I will pray for your husbands healing. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to talk more. Jennifer Grover

I unfortunately have been told many times that I dont have a case for the incident and am too tired to continue.
Both ovaries were supposed to have been removed and I was put on estrogen in 2009. In Feburary of 2011 I found out that I am not menaupausal and I have an ovary or a partial ovary. That may be a case. But for now I am broke, tired and stressed and trying to get an appointment at Mayo Clinic.
If I could afford it, I would create a holistic store in Fargo that could provide research materials and an empathetic ear help for people who are going through this. There are so many people this happens to and there is no one to tell you how to get through it. If I can help one person get through a trauma like this I will.