Personal Injury Law

Sacramento Woman Dies In Hospital Due To Malpractice, Part 2 of 13

By Moseley Collins, Esq.

It is worth noting that situations similar to those described in this medical malpractice case could just as easily occur at any of the healthcare facilities in the area, such as Kaiser Permanente, U.C. Davis Medical Center, Mercy, Sutter, or any skilled nursing facility.

(Please also note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants in this wrongful death case and its proceedings.)

Decedent was scheduled for pacemaker and lead extraction secondary to the infection at Memorial by surgeon David Hall, M.D., on January 19, 2009. This was a percutaneous laser lead extraction.

Surgery began at 1532, with purulence encountered in the pseudocapsule. The generator was explanted, and around 1655 problems began. There is a handwritten note at 1700 stating there was easy removal of A-lead, but there were problems with the V-lead. Decedent had sudden loss of blood pressure which improved with released traction, but then dropped again. The surgeons apparently attributed the drop in blood pressure to tugging on the lead. The procedure continued producing another sudden drop in blood pressure and which point sternotomy was performed.

The decision was made to open up decedent's chest. There was absolutely no blood in the pericardium. Right chest was filled with blood. Large bore catheters were placed including one on the atrium. Rapid blood and fluid infusion was implemented. For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.

On exploration, Dr. Hall found shearing of the right subclavian vein, innominate vein and complete shredding of the superior vena cava. The AICD lead (i.e. the V-lead) was found to have a large swath of superior vena cava and parietal pleura. The azygos vein had been sheared and retracted deep into the chest and was bleeding swiftly. Consequently, Ms. Smith died as a direct result.

Full post as published by Sacramento Injury Lawyer Blog on September 18, 2010 (boomark / email).