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Man Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit for Botched Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Fails, Leading to Amputation and Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

medical malpractice lawsuitOne year ago, a man went into the hospital for gastric sleeve surgery, but an error during the surgery led to him having both legs amputated above the knee. Now, he has filed a negligence and medical malpractice lawsuit.

Carlos Saucedo, 32, seeks $10 million in medical malpractice damages from Dr. David Kim, head surgeon at Kim Bariatric Institute at Colleyville, Texas, as well as three other doctors, and Baylor Regional Medical Center of Grapevine.

After the disastrous surgery, Saucedo was forced to move to Laredo so his family could take care of him. He filed the medical malpractice lawsuit because he believed his doctors to be “directly negligent,” and he will have a lifetime of medical problems and bills as a result.

In June 2013, Saucedo and his wife learned about the Kim Bariatric Center through the internet. They went in for an appointment, underwent a weight loss treatment program, and were scheduled for surgery with the Baylor Medical Center at Trophy Club. However, the Saucedos said in their medical malpractice lawsuit that they believed Dr. Kim himself would perform the gastric sleeve surgery on Saucedo. His wife’s surgery was “uneventful,” but Carlos Saucedo’s surgery on November 7th was different.

Bridget Holden and Franchell Richard-Hamilton were the two surgeons who actually performed Saucedo’s gastric sleeve surgery. Saucedo was informed that Holden would perform the surgery instead of Kim, as originally planned, but he said he did not consent to Richard-Hamilton’s presence during the operation, nor was he told that she would be assisting. Richard-Hamilton made an incision to insert a camera to aid with the operation, but then accidentally, according to the medical malpractice lawsuit, cut through the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body, and mistook it for a different artery.

The surgeons noticed a lot of blood pooling in Saucedo’s abdomen, as well as his blood pressure drop. They sewed the aorta shut, still without realizing that it was the body’s main artery. When they sewed the aorta shut, that cut off blood supply to Saucedo’s legs. The patient lost 4 liters of blood during the procedure. Saucedo had to be transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit for several hours before he could go into surgery again.

The medical malpractice lawsuit alleges that no one checked Saucedo’s extremities to assess them for warmth, which is standard procedure, until he was transferred to the intensive care unit where a nurse “finally ascertained that he had cold and pulseless legs.” A vascular surgeon in a second operation noticed that there was a “through-and-through laceration” of his distal aorta, and a segment of the aorta was “over-sewn with sutures.”

Saucedo’s organs were beginning to fail due to the blood loss, and the surgeons during his second surgery were forced to amputate his legs. He has begun the road to recovery, and he will be fitted for prosthesis, but his amputation and the damage to his internal organs will require a lifetime of medical care. Saucedo’s attorneys estimate that he has at least $500,000 in current medical expenses, and he will accrue at least $4 million more over the course of his life.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Due to Negligence

Each year, nearly 100,000 people die as a result of surgical errors, and many more suffer devastating personal consequences. Surgical errors, hospital acquired infections, and medical malpractice lawsuits can ruin you and your loved ones’ lives, demanding time away from work and thousands of dollars in medical bills. If you or a loved one has suffered pain, patient death, and continuing health problems after surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free consultations, so contact us today about your medical malpractice concerns. 803.252.4800.

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