A man is suing an Orland Park surgeon for medical malpractice after he allegedly botched a procedure to remove his gallbladder.
The plaintiff, Alfred Matthews filed the lawsuit against Dr. James R. O’Donnell and Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation on December 23rd.
In the complaint, Matthews states that he had undergone an operation in order to have his gallbladder removed on September 6 at South Suburban Hospital. During the surgery Dr. O’Donnell allegedly severed Matthews’ common bile duct accidentally. Matthews further claims that O’Donnell did not repair the mistake during the surgical procedure.
The plaintiff claims that he suffered both physical and mental pain to repair the botched surgical procedure. Matthews is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus litigation costs.
In such surgical procedures involving the gallbladder, the common bile duct, because it is attached to the gallbladder, can be cut, burned or pinched during surgery. It is possible for such injuries to occur when the gallbladder that is injured is not seen by a doctor due to bleeding, swelling or scarring, for example. When such an injury occurs and is undetected by the physician, bile can begin to leak into the abdomen for example or the flow of bile in the body can become blocked. When this happens, complications can become serious or even cause death. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the following symptoms may be experienced when such an injury to the bile duct occurs. They are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
- Swelling of the Abdomen
- General Discomfort
- Fever
- Chills
No one goes to the doctor and agrees to have surgery performed thinking that they will have further injuries to deal with afterward. Most doctors and medical professionals are aware that anyone can have an off day or mistakes.
In the case of medical malpractice, however, most of the time when medical malpractice or medical negligence occurs; it can be due to a number of reasons. When it happens to you or to someone that you love, that’s the time when you will want to have an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice law. That’s when you need to call the experienced malpractice attorneys at the law offices of Bottar Law, PLLC.
If you or a loved one believes they have suffered as a result of medical malpractice or medical negligence, contact the law offices of Bottar Law today. After a careful evaluation of your claim, and if we believe you have a case, we will begin the process of helping you and your loved ones begin to recover. Contact us today at our toll free number (888) 979-1689, or at (315) 313-6809, or you may reach us by email at info@bottarlaw.com.