New York Medical Malpractice Of Woman Suing Doctor Who Left Surgical Sponge In Her Head
A woman is filing for medical malpractice in New York against a surgeon who mistakenly left a surgical sponge inside her brain. According to this UPI news report, 84-year-old Mary Pober’s family alleges that she is constantly at risk for serious head injuries since she lost a portion of her skull in a procedure to retrieve the forgotten sponge. The New York woman must wear a helmet forever because of the damage caused by the surgical sponge left in her head.
According to court documents, there is skin, but no bone covering Pober’s brain. So if she fell, that could become a fatal injury, or even a blow to the head could turn out to be fatal. The surgery in question occurred in September 2008 and was performed by Dr. Ron Alterman of Elmhurst Hospital.
The doctor allegedly left a Gelfoam sponge inside her head while removing a subdural hematoma. This NY surgical error caused a portion of Pober’s skull to apparently die as a result of infection caused by the sponge. That affected portion of the skull and the sponge were later removed by Alterman. The doctor has denied the allegation that he ever left the surgical sponge in her head.
Mistakes often occur during surgery. Some of them can be corrected. And others such as this one can result in lifelong problems, disabilities and complications. Some surgical errors can even result in death. If you have suffered pain, suffering or unnecessary medical expenditure as a result of a doctor’s negligence in New York, then you have been a victim of medical malpractice. You may be entitled to compensation. Please call an experienced New York medical malpractice attorney at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro to schedule your free consultation and case evaluation.
