South Carolina pays estate of patient who died following days in agony after surgeons left a blade inside him
South Carolina He paid $1 million to the estate of a 58-year-old patient who died in pain for days after surgeons left a knife inside him.
Jeffrey Alan Fulcher, husband and father of three, had a minimally invasive surgery. operation in June 2022 at the Medical University of South Carolina to remove part of his esophagus after being diagnosed with localized carcinoma, a type of cancer.
According to local sources, during the procedure the Thompson retractor blade penetrated Fulcher’s abdomen. WCSChe cited documents in a case.
Fulcher’s doctor allegedly failed to see or remove the knife and closed his abdominal cavity.
Operating room nurses counted all medical instruments before and after surgery and confirmed that no blades were missing.
South Carolina settled the estate of a 58-year-old patient who died in agony for days after surgeons left a knife inside him (Google Earth)
However, this assessment turned out to be incorrect.
The lawsuit alleged that Fulcher told his doctors that he had pain in his abdomen the day after his surgery, but the doctors determined that he was in good condition.
The pain increased over several days until Fulcher’s oxygen saturation level dropped and his abdomen swelled, according to the lawsuit.
X-rays were taken and Fulcher was taken to the operating room more than six hours after the knife was found. Documents said he was in septic shock at this time. The knife punctured Fulcher’s colon, which led to doctors removing the dead part of the colon.
He then needed another procedure because doctors were concerned about intestinal ischemia, which means blood flow to the intestines slows or stops. The lawsuit alleged that the surgery was performed at Fulcher’s bedside because he was too unstable to move. Doctors removed what was left of his colon.
Fulcher died six days after his first surgery due to sepsis, colon perforation and peritonitis, an inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal area.
The lawsuit alleges MUSC was negligent, careless and careless. Following Fulcher’s death, South Carolina’s insurance fund paid $1 million to his estate.
Independent Reached out to MUSC for comment.
