Lawsuit filed after medical device threatens woman's life

Some people in Pennsylvania become nervous at the prospect of undergoing surgery. Fortunately, the majority of surgeries have positive results. Surgeons can make mistakes, however, and when these surgical errors happen they can have devastating results. 

A 45-year-old mother of two and grandmother-to-be wakes up every morning knowing there is something inside of her body that could kill her. In 2006 this woman was fighting breast cancer but it is not cancer that threatens her life now. A tiny piece of a medical device has lodged itself in her jugular vein, according to doctors. Doctors said that removing the object could be risky. The woman has decided not to have surgery, knowing full well that leaving the foreign object in her body also poses a risk.  

The object inside her body is part of a button-like device called a port; the port gave chemotherapy medication a direct path into her bloodstream while she was battling cancer and was removed after won that fight. Four years after the port was removed, doctors discovered a small piece of it still inside her body. She filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital where the procedure took place. A doctor and a physician’s assistant are also named as defendants.

This woman’s entire life is changed due to a surgical error. Her family is also suffering the consequences of that error. If you are the victim of a careless surgeon or a negligent operating room staff, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and pain and suffering. An attorney may be of assistance in this area. 

Source: NBC 10, “I-Team:  Woman sues hospital over device left in body,” Parker Gavigan, June 7, 2013