My 79 year old grandmother went in to have a hysterectomy last Monday. She was in good health other than needing the hysterectomy due to her uterus dropping. She was given a bowel prep to do the night before. She started vommiting a couple of hours after drinking it and continued to vommit all night. When she arrived at the hospital for her surgery, she was still vomitting. The doctor told her he was going to go ahead with the surgery. During anaesthesia she vomitted and aspirated it into her lungs. The doctor says he put a "plug" in her throat that should have blocked the vommit and doesn't know why it didn't work. She is now on a ventilator and has pneumonia. She has been this way for a week. I know that this could have been prevented. I don't understand why the doctor went ahead and tried to do the surgery anyway. Also, if a medical person reads this, what are the chances of her comming off the ventilator?
2007-03-19 20:29:11 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Respiratory Diseases
Your grandmother has aspiration pneumonia. It can be difficult to treat, but is curable. Her age, however, increases the chances of this being a long, arduous process. She should be able to come off the ventilator if the infection clears up quickly.
It's hard to say whether or not the doctor was wrong in proceeding with the surgery as I wasn't there. Patients who are vomiting or who are at risk for vomiting are usually given medication to counteract this prior to surgery.
You may want to talk to an attorney who specializes in medical errors to see if you have grounds for a lawsuit. At least the hospital should discount or forgive her hospital bill which is going to be enormous, as well as should the surgeon.
Talk to an attorney before you have any more conversations with the hospital staff or the surgeon about this event. They might use anything you say in constructing their defense. Good luck, and I hope your grandmother gets well soon.
2007-03-19 20:50:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry about your grandmother. Yes, that sounds like a preventable complication. As for why the doctor went ahead, well, it is hard to know: maybe he didn't have all the information, or maybe he hates canceling cases because he loses money, or maybe he just was not aware that vomiting could cause this problem. You might ask, in a nice way...you might even get an apology. :)
As for the chances of her coming off the ventilator, it is hard to say without knowing a little bit more about how she is doing. If they are able to get her breathing more and more on her own, that is a good sign. If her other organs are starting to have problems, that is not a good sign. Ask the people who are taking care of her in the ICU about these things. Doctors also differ in their approach to weaning patients -- some are more proactive than others and may have more success because of that (a totally personal opinion of mine).
I hope she is getting good care in the ICU and that she gets better soon.
2007-03-19 21:05:21 · answer #2 · answered by vegan 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am shocked he went on with the surgery. A hysterectomy is not life threating. He should of admitted her, given her anti nasuea medicine and with held all foods/liquids ect till she stopped vomitting and then done the surgery. The longer she is one the ventalator the harder it is to come off. I will say a prayer for her. The elderly are at a disadvantage when they become ill, their circulatory system is much slower then before and the circulatory system is the bodies main system in providing a healthy immune system. I am not a Dr. I am in nursing school and I care for the elderly. I believe he was careless. You may have a law suit, but if she was given the choice to wait or continue and she choose to continue then it would not be the fault of the doctor. Good luck, I will pray for her. God bless.
2007-03-19 20:41:59 · answer #3 · answered by Shyler 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Oh! That is terrible. Everyone knows that any operation is traumatizing for the body and your grandma wasn't well already. For this reason, they should have postponed the surgery. These people are getting scarier by the minute and they all protect one another one way or the other. They operated on a little 9 yr. old girl on the first day of the year and left her blind for leaving dangerous chemical fall in her eyes and left it there for the whole 4 hours of the operation in the back of her neck. People regularly walk in to Emerg. only to get out in a box. That is beyond not right!!!
2007-03-19 20:43:44 · answer #4 · answered by Teri 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A simple case of Malpractice, thats what it is nothing else. The moron should not have performed the surgery. Sue him for malpractice and please get your grandmother to good doctor or another Hospital where they know how to treat her.
Take Care and God Bless !
2007-03-19 21:34:44 · answer #5 · answered by Soul Doctor 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
79 years is long enough to learn to fight for life. She'll come off the ventilator and shw won't want to sue the doctor. Stuff happens. It just sux that it happens when you're 79.
2007-03-19 20:39:53 · answer #6 · answered by Sheriff of Yahoo! 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
you should be able to get the hospital records and surgical report. ( You will have to pay for them.)
Then, see an attorney. Call your local Bar assoc., ask them for an attorney who would give you a consultation.
No guarantees.
2007-03-19 20:37:55 · answer #7 · answered by TedEx 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I would tell you to contact a lawyer.
2007-03-19 20:41:19 · answer #8 · answered by Pommac 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋