Bizarre case of a towel left in during surgery. The family predictably sues, but the defense is arguing that the towel actually helped to prolong the patient’s life.
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{ 7 comments }
The random finger of fate.
The surgeon who left the towel is not sued.
The pulmonologist, who had nothing to do with the operation is sued for the towel.
Even when the case is a simple res ipsa and there can be no doubt who was responsible, the lawyer sues some random party because they happen to be available.
“the defense is arguing that the towel actually helped to prolong the patient’s life.”
Forget medical school, I’m going to make a late night infomercial selling “miracle towels” For 5 easy payments of $199.99 you can have a surgical towel implanted behind your lung. Call in the next 15 minutes and you can also have have one implanted in your brain, because if you’re stupid enough to buy into this, it could only make you smarter. Call now and I’ll even throw in some CortiSlim.
speaking of stupid cdclled did you read the article? Let me quote one line:
“She was a two-pack-a-day smoker for 37 years, then quit in the early 1990s. But by then she was disabled by emphysema, which shortened her breath and required her to breathe oxygen around the clock.
This is a COPDer who was O2 dependent since the early 90’s and the pulm doc kept her alive until 2006. He should be commended not sued. But I doubt you have any clue as to what I am talking about.
Anon 10:07
You completely missed the point. I would agree that keeping the patient alive that long is commendable. When did I say the physician was at fault for her death or that he should be sued?
I didn’t.
A payout would require negligence as well as damages. I never said the towel caused her death (ie. no proof of damages) The legal definition of negligence is “The doing of something which a reasonably prudent person in like circumstance would not do” Do you think the doctor put the towel in on purpose? Do you think that any “reasonably prudent” doctor would recommend doing this? Please tell me you aren’t proposing that leaving a towel in a patient is not negligent. Fact is it WAS negligent. It was a mistake. Doesn’t mean he should be sued, but don’t try to tell me he did her a favor by leaving it in there (or at least provide some proof to back up this claim)
“Fact is it WAS negligent. It was a mistake. Doesn’t mean he should be sued, but don’t try to tell me he did her a favor by leaving it in there”
Do you know what a “pulmonologist” is cdclled? Do you understand pulmonologist’s don’t do open lung procedures? I will spell it out since you have no clue and you can’t read the article. THE PULM DOC DID NOT LEAVE THE TOWEL IN THE LADY YET HE IS BEING SUED. IN FACT THE SURGEON WHO DID LEAVE THE TOWEL IN THE LADY IS NOT BEING SUED. Do you understand now?
I think it has been fairly well established that cdciied has not got a clue about why this story is so outrageous, or about the scope of practice of medical specialists.
I think he even realized his moronic statements and shut up.
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