Airman's legs amputated after routine gallbladder surgery goes wrong

Pre-Med & Medical School Careers in Medicine
1

<p>"SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An airman lost parts of both legs and was in critical condition after routine gallbladder surgery at Travis Air Force Base went terribly wrong, his family said.</p>

<p>Airman 1st Class Colton Read was supposed to get his gallbladder removed laparoscopically — via a small incision — at Travis' David Grant Medical Center on July 9.</p>

<p>During the procedure, surgeons nicked or punctured his aorta, a large artery that carries blood from the heart throughout the body, according to his wife, Jessica Read. The surgeons repaired the breach enough to save his life, but the repair began leaking and disrupted the blood supply to his legs, she said.</p>

<p>Read was flown to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where doctors told the family that damage from the lack of blood required amputation. Family members say he's undergone 10 surgeries to remove dead tissue from his legs, leaving him without much of his right leg and the lower portion of his left.</p>

<p>And Read still hasn't had his gallbladder removed because of the surgery complications, relatives said.</p>

<p>Travis officials would not comment on specifics, only saying a "serious medical incident" occurred at the hospital. The case is under investigation by the base, a national hospital accrediting commission and the U.S. surgeon general."</p>

<p>Apparently a resident. Now if that doesn't give you pause, I don't know what will. One vascular surgeon on anothrr forum posted </p>

<p>"I have gotten into some rather prodigious bleeding in the area of the port hepatis during dissection of the cystic duct and artery, and while it was eventually controlled via open incision, there was a great deal of cussing and puckering involved."</p>

2

<p>Very unfortunate, but a known risk to be sure. I was never in a surgical case that went that bad, but have been in the doctor’s lounge when cases have ended up that way. One case, almost identical being a lap chole with a punctured aorta, had the friend of a friend on his very first case as a board eligible anesthesia attending. Puckering indeed.</p>

3

<p>**** Happens.
Now the Big Question.</p>

<p>Should they be sued for malpractice or is just a known complication and “too bad”?</p>

4

<p>They cannot be sued for malpractice. The Feres Doctrine, which prevents active duty servicemen and women from suing the government for injuries, applies. Unfortunate, but true.</p>

5

<p>so assume it happened at local hospital to nonmilitary.</p>

<p>(also, I believe that for “gross malpractice” they can be.)</p>