Legal: Ovarian hemorrhage after cyst removal

A 33-year old New Jersey woman underwent surgery to remove a benign ovarian cyst in 2005. The next day she was found unresponsive in her hospital bed and resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. An autopsy found the cause of death to be internal bleeding due to failure to properly suture the ovary from which the cyst was removed. A lawsuit was filed against those involved with her care and a $1 million settlement was reached.

Department editor DAWN COLLINS, JD, is an attorney specializing in medical malpractice in Long Beach, CA. She welcomes feedback on this column via e-mail to dawncfree@gmail.com
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