Readers of our Eugene medical malpractice law blog may be interested to learn of a civil trial currently underway against a prominent gynecologist. The medical malpractice lawsuit was filed in district court by a Montana woman. She claims the gynecologist was grossly negligent when he botched a 2007 robotic surgery.
The claims of negligence involve a surgery involving a da Vinci robotic device. The device was used to remove one of the woman’s ovaries. A piece of plastic was left behind in the woman’s body as a result of the surgery. Expert testimony was recently given in the trial from a Portland gynecologist. He testified about the use of robotic devices by hospital staff during surgeries.
The woman discovered the foreign object was left behind in her body in 2011 following a CT scan. She subsequently had the laparoscopy sheath used in the 2007 surgery removed, along with coils used in birth-control devices. The woman and her husband are suing the gynecologist for more than $1 million in damages. According to the Oregon Medical Board, the gynecologist now lists his practice as being located in Hermiston. The well-known doctor has been quoted in newspaper articles and has made appearances on Jackson County radio and television shows.
The case shows that medical mistakes can happen at the hands of the most competent doctors and health care workers. Hospital negligence claims are often at the center of malpractice cases, involving allegations of mistakes during surgery or misdiagnosis. The serious injures that may result from medical malpractice make it important for Oregon patients to be aware of their legal rights. Victims of malpractice can contact an experienced attorney to learn more about the potential for recovery.
Source: Mail Tribune, “Defense testimony starts in malpractice suit against gynecologist,” Sarah Lemon, Nov. 13, 2013