Plaintiff claimed Defendant OBGYN was negligent in performing a diagnostic laparoscopy, and in particular that he improperly placed the Veress needle (used to inflate the abdomen with CO2), resulting in a perforated abdominal aorta and intraperitoneal hematoma requiring emergent general surgery consultation and transfer to St. Joseph’s Hospital for vascular surgery intervention and repair. In the course of the aortic repair a lumbar artery injury was identified and repaired, and 13 days later, plaintiff was found to have a bowel injury that required exploratory surgery and debridement of the wound.
The plaintiff was ultimately hospitalized for 5+ weeks, and discharged with a wound vac and drains. She was again hospitalized for two days when she received IV antibiotics for a drain infection, and continued to need the wound vac for two more months after she was discharged from the hospital. She followed with a general surgeon for wound care and required 11 in-office debridements before the wound was fully healed almost a year after the initial surgery. She subsequently developed a small incisional hernia at the surgical wound site which will require surgical repair in the future.
Johnson defended the case arguing that the injuries the plaintiff sustained were known risks and complications of the procedure, and that while the procedure was performed properly, the injuries nonetheless occurred.
The jury returned a unanimous defense verdict after 90 minutes of deliberation.
