Everyone wants to look their best, and sometimes individuals will go to great lengths to achieve the perfect figure. Fad diets, extreme fitness regimes and hypnotism often seem like a quick fix for fitting into a smaller pair of jeans or looking great at an important event. Some people resort to even more drastic measures and undergo surgical procedures to sculpt their bodies. Unfortunately, these seemingly innocent cosmetic fixes can sometimes lead to medical malpractice, injury, and death.
According to Courthouse News Service, a Georgia father recently sued Opulence Aesthetic Medicine and Dr. Nedra Dodds for a botched procedure that left his 37-year-old daughter, April Jenkins, dead. Hal Jenkins claims that the surgeon anesthetized April by stuffing a rag soaked in propofol into her mouth, and proceeded to pierce her liver during the procedure. Further still, Mr. Jenkins alleges, no nurses were present in the operating room during the procedure, and his daughter was not placed on a cardiac monitor. Ultimately, after the liposuction surgery, Ms. Jenkins went into respiratory arrest. Mr. Jenkins alleges that Opulence and Dr. Dodds’ failure to call 911 in a timely fashion and to get his daughter emergency medical help further led to her death. Mr. Jenkins is seeking damages for pain and suffering, professional negligence, wrongful death, and funeral expenses in relation to the liposuction procedure.
According to Health News Florida, in Florida, earlier this month, a Broward County doctor relinquished his medical license to the Board of Medicine after two women died from complications related to liposuction procedures performed by him. Dr. Alberto Sant Antonio decided to surrender the license instead of facing disciplinary action carried out by the state. According to reports, Dr. Sant Antonio’s cosmetic surgery office was unregistered.
It is important to note that even if a Doctor has given up his or her medical license and cannot be pursued by the state, victims of medical malpractice may still sue using the civil justice system. Many victims, like Ms. Jenkins, who have suffered from medical malpractice related to anesthesia, have come forward and have been awarded damages. Anesthesia medical malpractice cases encompass several different types of errors that can be caused by medical professionals, hospitals, and their staff. Anesthesia errors can be deadly and can cause severe pain during procedures, often resulting in death. Some anesthesia errors include: improper hydration of the patient, failure to determine whether the patient has any allergies, and anesthesia overdose. There are many other serious errors, all of which have life-threatening consequences.
Often, an error in administering anesthesia is irreversible. However, if a victim, or his or her family, seeks out the assistance of an attorney, compensation may be awarded for pain and suffering, wrongful death, funeral expenses and professional negligence. If you or a loved one has suffered from the miscalculation or error of a medical professional, you should immediately seek out a medical malpractice attorney. The attorneys at Goldstein and Hayes have years of experience helping medical malpractice victims obtain the compensation they deserve. Contact Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC today for a consultation.