South Carolina Lawyer Blog
A Winchester, Va. Woman has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit over a colonoscopy she had in 2009 which has continued to cause her medical problems, reports the Northern Virginia Daily.
The then 29-year-old woman went to the doctor in 2009 to evaluate persistent diarrhea. Following the “prep” for the procedure, she had severe abdominal pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting. After prescribing something for the pain, the doctor proceeded with the procedure without knowing what was causing her pain. That same day she had to be admitted to intensive care, two days later underwent a second colonoscopy during which her colon was perforated, and had to have emergency surgery to repair the perforation and to remove the obstructed part of the colon.
The patient is seeking $5 million in damages from Dr. Richard John Sears and Winchester Gastroenterology Associates PLC claiming Dr. Sears breached his duty of care by proceeding with the first colonoscopy and then performed a second colonoscopy when a CT scan would have revealed a significant “stricture” that required surgery.
The suit also claims Sears performed both procedures without the patient’s consent and did not describe the risks or alternatives, caused the second perforation to the colon that developed into sepsis and failed to keep her from aspirating brown fecal-like material among other medical problems.