Georgia

Sherry Keller
Conyers, GA

Sherry Keller had received a complete hysterectomy and returned to the doctor's to have her staples removed. In completing the hysterectomy, her surgeon had relied entirely on the staples to hold her incision closed, and had not sutured underneath. The staples were removed, but that night her incision began to ooze blood. The doctor called her back to the office the next morning. She put Sherry on the examination table and started to clean the wound. In cleaning it, she pulled on the incision, which, due to the lack of sutures, opened like a ziplock bag.

The doctor said she would call a wound care specialist and left Sherry alone, with a large open wound, lying on an examination table.

The doctor continued to see other patients while Sherry lay on the examination table for approximately 35 minutes. She went into shock, lost consciousness, and fell off the examination table. Her head hit the counter as she fell, damaging her spinal cord and rendering her an incomplete quadriplegic. She dragged herself into the hall to get help.

The doctor called for an ambulance, but gave express orders that sherry should only be transported and that the doctor would go to the emergency room to dress the wound herself. Sherry then lay in the Emergency Room for two and a half hours waiting for her doctor to treat her wound. As a result of the fall, Sherry will never walk again.

Ed Whiddon

Ed underwent a routine operation to repair a hernia. The anesthesiologist allowed Ed's blood pressure to drop too low during the 1 ½ - 2 hour operation. As a result not enough oxygenated blood circulated to his lower spinal cord. When Ed awoke from the operation he no longer had the use of his legs. He is now confined to his wheelchair

August 2004