The Case
A patient underwent gallbladder surgery, a common procedure typically performed laparoscopically. During or shortly after the operation, the surgeon suspected that the patient’s bowel had been injured.
Bowel injuries can occur during abdominal surgery when surgical instruments inadvertently puncture or tear the intestine. When a surgeon suspects this type of injury, the standard of care requires immediate investigation and intervention. Instead, the patient was discharged from the hospital.
Over the following week, the patient developed symptoms consistent with a bowel leak—a serious complication in which intestinal contents spill into the abdominal cavity, causing infection and sepsis. Despite these symptoms, medical staff did not act on the warning signs.
By the time the bowel injury was addressed, the patient required four open abdominal surgeries to repair the damage and treat the resulting infection. She developed short gut syndrome, a condition in which so much of the intestine has been damaged or removed that the remaining bowel cannot absorb enough nutrients to sustain the body. This is a permanent, life-altering condition that requires ongoing medical management.
The patient pursued a medical malpractice claim based on the failure to recognize and treat the bowel injury promptly.
The Resolution
The case settled for $1,650,000 at mediation. The settlement reflected the severity of the permanent injury and the evidence that the bowel injury should have been identified and repaired before the patient was discharged, or at minimum, should have been treated promptly when symptoms developed in the days following surgery.
Mediation allowed both sides to resolve the case without the uncertainty and expense of a trial, while ensuring the patient received compensation for her ongoing medical needs and diminished quality of life.
Why These Cases Matter
Surgical complications happen even when care is appropriate. But when a surgeon suspects an injury has occurred, the standard of care requires investigation before discharge. When symptoms of a serious complication develop after surgery, medical providers must act quickly.
Short gut syndrome is a devastating, permanent condition. Patients require specialized nutrition support, frequent medical monitoring, and often face years of additional surgeries. The condition affects every aspect of daily life.
If you or a family member suffered a serious, preventable complication following surgery—particularly one that was not recognized or treated promptly—contact us to discuss whether you have a case. We work on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.