Patient Sues Hospital for Removing Wrong Rib
A woman has recently filed a lawsuit against Yale New Haven Hospital for removing an incorrect body part during surgery. According to the former patient, the hospital removed the wrong rib and then tried to cover up their mistake.
The incident happened last year when Deborah Craven was having surgery to remove a portion of her eighth rib due to a precancerous lesion. The doctors instead, however, removed part of her seventh rib as stated in the complaint she has filed against the hospital. Her complaint also stated she had to undergo a second surgery to remove the actual correct portion.
According to Craven, she found out about the mistake only after complaining of pain after the surgery. She had an X-ray performed by another doctor that revealed the wrong rib had been removed. Craven’s attorney states that during the procedure the doctor informed Craven that they had not removed enough rib during the initial surgery and that she would have to undergo a second procedure. Craven’s attorney further alleged that this was the cover up by the doctors and that it was deceitful to make Craven undergo a second surgical procedure without providing her with a real explanation.
Yale has responded to the claim by saying their hospital is committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care possible. They acknowledge that medical errors may occur and state their goal is to learn from them and minimize any chance that they occur again.
Hospitals have a certain duty of care they must adhere to when performing surgery on their patients. If you have been injured by medical negligence please contact The Poppe Law Firm® at (502) 895-3400.