Small-bowel transection causes death

OBG Management. 2005 July;17(07):60-64

July 1, 2005|ObGyn

Clark County (Nev) District Court

A woman who underwent an abdominal hysterectomy died. The family claimed that during the surgery the physician transected the small bowel and then failed to recognize and treat the injury in a timely manner, leading to the woman’s death. The family also claimed lack of informed consent.

The physician claimed that death was a known complication of the procedure.

The jury returned a defense verdict.

The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, of Nashville, Tenn (www.verdictslaska.com). While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.

Download Article