A male patient in his 70s became acutely ill due to a spontaneous bleed from the blood vessels near one of his kidneys. He was emergently taken to the hospital, where the source of the bleeding was identified. During an exploratory laparoscopic surgery, the surgeons inadvertently caused a grade V splenic laceration, commonly referred to as a “shattered spleen.” However, this significant injury was not identified before the surgical team closed the patient’s abdomen.
The patient was transferred to the recovery floor, where he continued to bleed internally and required additional blood transfusions. Despite the ongoing blood loss, the attending physicians failed to recognize the severity of his condition. The following morning, after a shift change, another physician promptly took the patient back to the operating room. There, the bleeding was discovered, along with a large hematoma and a significant amount of clotted blood. Although a splenectomy was performed, the patient had lost too much blood, leading to organ failure and ultimately his death.
The patient’s family approached our firm to investigate the cause of his death. With the support of medical experts, we determined that the physicians had acted negligently by failing to recognize and address the patient’s internal bleeding for nearly 16 hours. Shortly after filing a lawsuit on behalf of the Estate, we secured a sizeable settlement.
Type of Medical Malpractice: Failure to Recognize and Treat Post-Surgical Internal Bleeding
Standard of Care Issues:
- Accurate identification and management of intraoperative injuries
- Timely monitoring and intervention for signs of internal bleeding post-surgery
- Proper communication and handoff between surgical and recovery teams