Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog

Researchers have long-known that woman are having C-section births at much higher rates than ever before. Amazingly, today nearly one out of every three children are born following the surgery. According to the Washington Post, that high rate makes C-sections the most common surgery at virtually all hospitals across the country.

While the rate increase was easy for experts to track, it was more difficult to understand the cause of the rise in these procedures as an alternative to natural birth. After all, in an ideal world, the surgery would not be necessary at all. The procedure poses many more risks to both the child and the mother when compared to healthy, natural childbirth. In addition, C-sections are more expensive than natural births—the increase in the procedure’s use has added significantly the country’s overall health care bill.

The downsides to the procedure have led researchers to help stem the tide by understanding the reasons for the rising use of C-sections. A recent study published in the American Journal of Obtetrics & Gynecology suggests some causes to the problem.

The researches ultimately found that many of procedures may be unnecessary. Historically, C-sections were used for those pregnancies that were known to be “problematic”—older mothers, previous C-section mothers, and similar cases. However, today even first time parents without clear problems seem to be getting the procedure at the same rate as other mothres, one out of three. Also, half of the C-sections that are performed occur in women who had their labor induced (initiated by the doctor) and before they were even dilated 6 cm. That suggests that more patients are picking when to begin labor and stopping the natural birth process very early after beginning labor. In other words, patients and their doctors may be using the process to conveniently schedule births, even though a healthier, natural childbirth would be possible.

Research into this area is still developing. New and more detailed information on the exact number of unnecessary C-section births is still forthcoming. But, it is no doubt clear that many of these procedures could be avoided with different medical care, planning, and advice. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Levin & Perconti have worked with many patients who suffered at the hands of problems during the delivery of children. Childbirth is inherently a risky medical situation, and everything should be done to ensure that risks of complications are lowered as much as possible. Patient’s trust their doctors to provide appropriate, timely, and clear medical advice on the risks and necessity of surgical procedures. For that reasons, all doctors need to ensure that unnecessary C-sections are limited.

Last year, St. Joseph Medical Center, located outside of Baltimore, sent a letter to nearly 600 former patients letting them know that stents that were inserted into their arteries by cardiologist Mark Midei were unnecessary. The letter suggested that they should go see a doctor to check on the status of the stents to determine the effect of the unneeded medical device on their body.

However, according the Baltimore Sun, now that hospitals officials realize that they are likely going to have to pay for the damages caused by these medical mistakes, they are refusing to admit that their error caused patients any damage.

Stents are small mesh tubes that help open clogged arteries to restore blood flow. They are also intended to help prevent the artery from bursting. Any patient who has been forced to undergo the medical procedure to have the stent inserted is likely to confess that it was an experience that they would otherwise not have wanted. Besides the emotional toll that these medical issues always take on individuals, many patients are also required to spend over $2,800 a year in annual blood-thinning drugs following the insertion. All patients with stents also have an increased risk of sudden blood clotting among other complications.

Mark Midei, the doctor charged with starting all of these problems by inserting the unnecessary stents was ultimately found to have altered information in some patients’ medical files. For example, in one case tests revealed that a certain patient had 40% blockage in their heart artery, but the doctor wrote in the medical file that the patient had an 80% obstruction and was in need of a stent. Money was the likely motivation for the negligent doctor. The more procedures he performed, the more money he earned—almost $1.3 million last year alone.

Instead of owning up to the mistakes and providing patients with the necessary costs for what they endured, the hospitals officials and their lawyers are dragging out the process. It is exactly for that reason that it is important to contact an attorney any time you feel you have been the victim of a hospital error. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience fighting on your behalf against negligent doctors and hospitals. These legal battles require experience, legal skill, and persistence—something our attorneys possess in unlimited quantities.

Last year the St. Joseph Medical Center sent a letter to nearly 600 former patients letting them know that stents that were inserted into their arteries by cardiologist Mark Midei were unnecessary. The letter suggested that they should go see a doctor to check on the status of the stents to determine the effect of the unneeded medical device on their body.

However, according the Baltimore Sun, now that hospitals officials realize that they are likely going to have to pay for the damages caused by these medical mistakes, they are refusing to admit that their error caused patients any damage.

Stents are small mesh tubes that help open clogged arteries to restore blood flow. They are also intended to help prevent the artery from bursting. Any patient who has been forced to undergo the medical procedure to have the stent inserted is likely to confess that it was an experience that they would otherwise not have wanted. Besides the emotional toll that these medical issues always take on individuals, many patients are also required to spend over $2,800 a year in annual blood-thinning drugs following the insertion. All patients with stents also have an increased risk of sudden blood clotting among other complications.

Mark Midei, the doctor charged with starting all of these problems by inserting the unnecessary stents was ultimately found to have altered information in some patients’ medical files. For example, in one case tests revealed that a certain patient had 40% blockage in their heart artery, but the doctor wrote in the medical file that the patient had an 80% obstruction and was in need of a stent. Money was the likely motivation for the negligent doctor. The more procedures he performed, the more money he earned—almost $1.3 million last year alone.

Instead of owning up to the mistakes and providing patients with the necessary costs for what they endured, the hospitals officials and their lawyers are dragging out the process. It is exactly for that reason that it is important to contact an attorney any time you feel you have been the victim of a hospital error. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience fighting on your behalf against negligent doctors and hospitals. These legal battles require experience, legal skill, and persistence—something our attorneys possess in unlimited quantities.

Last year the St. Joseph Medical Center sent a letter to nearly 600 former patients letting them know that stents that were inserted into their arteries by cardiologist Mark Midei were unnecessary. The letter suggested that they should go see a doctor to check on the status of the stents to determine the effect of the unneeded medical device on their body.

However, according the Baltimore Sun, now that hospitals officials realize that they are likely going to have to pay for the damages caused by these medical mistakes, they are refusing to admit that their error caused patients any damage.

Stents are small mesh tubes that help open clogged arteries to restore blood flow. They are also intended to help prevent the artery from bursting. Any patient who has been forced to undergo the medical procedure to have the stent inserted is likely to confess that it was an experience that they would otherwise not have wanted. Besides the emotional toll that these medical issues always take on individuals, many patients are also required to spend over $2,800 a year in annual blood-thinning drugs following the insertion. All patients with stents also have an increased risk of sudden blood clotting among other complications.

Mark Midei, the doctor charged with starting all of these problems by inserting the unnecessary stents was ultimately found to have altered information in some patients’ medical files. For example, in one case tests revealed that a certain patient had 40% blockage in their heart artery, but the doctor wrote in the medical file that the patient had an 80% obstruction and was in need of a stent. Money was the likely motivation for the negligent doctor. The more procedures he performed, the more money he earned—almost $1.3 million last year alone.

Instead of owning up to the mistakes and providing patients with the necessary costs for what they endured, the hospitals officials and their lawyers are dragging out the process. It is exactly for that reason that it is important to contact an attorney any time you feel you have been the victim of a hospital error. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience fighting on your behalf against negligent doctors and hospitals. These legal battles require experience, legal skill, and persistence—something our attorneys possess in unlimited quantities.

St. Louis Today recently discussed the tragic suffocation death of a sixteen year old girl at the SSM DePaul Health Center. As the newspaper uncovered, the death was only one of a string of error-riddled incidents at the hospital over the last several years.

Alexis Evette was a foster child at the facility who had an emotional fit and began hitting, biting, and scratching staff members at the hospital. In an attempt to restrain her, two aides grabbed Alexis's arms and held her face down into a bean bag while a nurse injected what was supposed to be a calming sedative. Alexis continued to scream and kick for a short while after the injection before eventually going limp.

After she stopped moving, the aides all left the room without checking on her in any way. It wasn't until another ten to twelve minutes that another nurse saw Alexis, noticed that she clearly looked askew, and rushed into the room to check on her. The nurse discovered that Alexis was not breathing and only had a faint pulse. There was nothing that could be done, however, and Alexis died shortly after. The medical examiner ruled the incident a homicide, noting that the girl suffocated to death in the bean bag where she was held face down.

The improper restraint that killed Alexis is unfortunately an too-common occurrence. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Levin & Perconti have witnessed similar forceful conduct with troubled patients at hospitals, leading to serious injuries and death. Obviously, it is imperative that aides at these facilities understand that patients not be held down in a way that constricts their breathing. Besides that, it is a basic staple of care that a patient be checked after being given a sedative. There is simply no excuse for the complete lack of concern with Alexis's care that led to her death.

The abuse of Alexis was just the latest in a string of problems that SMM DePaul. Investigators were already looking into an incident where a urologist at the facility removed the wrong kidney of one patient. Besides that, there are 28 other reports of inadequate medical care and complete disorganization at the facility from other wrong-site surgeries to baby abductions.

The continuing errors at the hospital are enough to shock any patient. Yet, authorities remain unclear on whether they will seek to close the facility or impose other sanctions. The inaction of state officials makes it all the more important for patients themselves to hold abusive and dangerous hospitals accountable.

Please Click Here to read more about the extent of the dangerous medical errors at this single hospital.

This Sunday July 25th marks “Patient Safety Day” which seeks to remind all those who receive medical treatment to remain vigilant about the care they are provided and active to ensure that they do not fall victim to negligent medical error.

Unknown to many, medical errors and the costs to correct those errors have tripled in recent years. The mistakes come in a variety of forms, from surgeries conducted on the wrong part of the body to infections caused by unsterile equipment and unclean medical staff. In all cases, however, the injury to the patient and the resulting complications are entirely avoidable. According to the Institute of Medicine, over 271,000 people died last year due to medical error. On top of that, almost $66 billion is spent on medical care each year to correct the complications that were caused by medical error in the first place.

Patient Safety Day seeks to raise awareness of this prevalent problem and encourage all patients to push for open and fair changes in hospital protocol. For example, the rates of hospital-caused infections and medical errors should be reported in each state so that consumers are properly educated when making medical choices.

Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Levin & Perconti have long been advocates for patients remaining active participants in their medical care. Medical professionals make decisions every day in which life and death literally hangs in the balance. When mistakes are made, the healthcare providers need to be sure to accept the error and compensate the victims. Only then, when information is openly and honestly shared, can patients begin to make the most informed healthcare choices. And only when hospitals are held accountable for their errors will they be sure to implement changes so that no future patients suffer from the same mistakes again and again.

Please Click Here to read more about Patient Safety Day.

The Chicago Tribune reports on a newly unsealed lawsuit which describes how medical professionals at the orthopedic department at Rush University Medical Center routinely sacrificed patient safety while violating Medicare billing rules.

The suit alleges that several medical doctors at Rush overbooked surgical procedures (sometimes several at the same time), allowing medical residents to perform the operations while unsupervised. The allegations go further, with one former medical resident admitting that one of the doctors, Mitchell Sheinkop, asked him to falsify the medical record to make it seem as if Dr. Sheinkop had actually been present when the operation occurred.

Medicare rules are clear on what level of care and oversight is required of medical residents. Specifically, the rules require the supervising physician to be in the room when critical portions of the operations are underway and to be physically able to assist the operation at any times.

Ultimately, failure to abide by these laws means that patient safety is sacrificed. As we have reported on this blog previously, nearly half of all medical errors are caused by inexperienced, untrained, and unsupervised medical residents. By allowing more new doctors to perform critical operations alone, the medical professionals at Rush were drastically increasing the risk of harm to their patients.

In fact, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recently proposed new rules to guide the training of medical residents. The ACGME’s new regulations were in response to new data and years of concern that the current regulations were too lax, allowing untrained residents to work for too long and without guidance, ultimately leading to inadequate and deadly care for patients. Click Here to read more about the new proposed rules offered by ACGME.

However, this suit alleges that Rush’s orthopedic doctors were not even able to abide by the older, lax medical resident regulations. Essentially the doctors prioritized the monetary reward of packing in several surgeries at the same time over the proper care for each patient on the operating table.

Another doctor named in the suit, Brian Cole, performed two surgeries at the same time, being physically present at one and monitoring the other through video devices. Dr. Cole’s schedule on one day involved five surgeries starting within 2 and a half hours of each other, with one of the operations occurring in a different building.

The allegations in the suit paint a troubling picture of the orthopedic department at one of Chicago’s most well-known hospitals. Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Levin & Perconti are well aware of the decisions made at hospitals like Rush that sacrifice patient care for monetary reward. Each medical patient, especially those undergoing risky surgical operations, deserves the full attention of the medical doctor to which they entrust their care. When that trust is violated, medical malpractice may have occurred. Please seek out a medical malpractice attorney if you were the victim of similar abuse.

According to a recent report by ABC News, researchers at the University of California at San Diego have found that the rate of medication errors increase in July at teaching hospitals throughout the country. This spike coincides with the arrival of new medical residents who are just beginning their clinical training. The “July Effect” has always been talked about, but the new study links a 10 % increase in medication errors with these changes in personnel.

An experienced physician cited in the article was not surprised by the study’s findings. He attributes these often-fatal medical malpractice mistakes to the fact that residents are inexperienced in caring for patients and are in the process of trying to learn a new system and new set of procedures. Many medical residents are adjusting to longer shifts and face sleep-deprivation. A Boston Globe article from October 2009 linked less sleep to more complications and noted that the rate of complications when a doctor had less than six hours of sleep was 2.8% higher than when a doctor had more than 6 hours of sleep before a procedure. A Mayo Clinic study in the September 23, 2009 Journal of the American Medical Association mirrored these results, noting that residents who were sleep-deprived were more likely to perform a medical error.

In order to avoid the “July Effect” hospitals and residency program directors must raise awareness surrounding the issues of medical and medication errors and work with residents to prevent them from happening. Program directors should stress the importance of having new residents ask senior residents or attendings for help if there is an issue they are unsure of. Programs should also work with new residents to help them manage their sleep and new workload. The ABC article also notes the implementation of new software that checks for prescription errors may help to quell the July Effect in teaching hospitals.

To read more about the new study on medication errors follow the link.

A family of a medical malpractice victim has sued the surgeon they believe is responsible for the error. According to NewsOn6.com the fire broke out during the victim’s surgery. She was undergoing breast reconstruction surgery when the fire sparked. Two years prior to the medical malpractice she had a double mastectomy as a result of breast cancer. She was hoping the breast reconstruction would be a final step towards healing but was set backwards.

After the woman woke up from the surgery her face was covered in bandages. The medical malpractice lawsuit claims that the doctor used alcohol to swab the victim during the procedure, set the cauterizing tool aflame. This sparked a fire that caught both the victim and the drapes on fire. The fire then proceeded to melt the oxygen tube inside of her mouth, causing her mouth and tongue to burn. She was unable to eat or drink for a period of time and still has trouble four months later. The devoted teacher is unable to go back to work because the pain has been so terrible. Unfortunately, her face and lips have been deformed and it appears that she will need future surgeries.

Medical errors cause approximately 98,000 deaths per year. The victims of medical malpractice are hopefully sending a message to those negligent healthcare providers by filing medical malpractice lawsuits. In the end, the goal is to ensure that medical providers deliver quality care to avoid such litigation. To read more about this specific medical malpractice lawsuit, please click the link.

Medical malpractice attorneys have filed a class action lawsuit against a hospital after it informed more than 350 patients that they may have received unnecessary heart stents. The hospital had recently sent letters to the patients informing them that they may have received stents even though their arteries were not in fact clogged enough that they would need such a stent. The class-action lawyers state that the stents were implemented because of their $10,000 procedure costs. The hospital did not comment on the medical malpractice lawsuit.. Surgeries should only be performed if they are in the interest of the patient. To read into the class-action lawsuit, please click the link.

A woman blames her third degree burns on the medical negligence of doctors at a children’s hospital before she went into surgery. A medical malpractice attorney has filed a lawsuit against the hospital on her behalf. The woman claims she became a patient in 2002 for surgery to treat her hyperparathyroidism. During the surgery, she received third-degree burns when doctors negligently allowed heat or a hot object to burn her back. She also claimed they failed to properly supervise her preparation for the surgery. The doctor at the hospital failed to guide his assistants in the proper placement of surgical devices to avoid the burning. Since the incident, she has been forced to endure additional surgeries and suffered disfigurement. This type of medical negligence will have a life long effect on the woman. To read more about the medical malpractice lawsuit, please click the link.

A man says he suffered 10 weeks of pain and stiffness before his doctors discovered that they had left a broken device in his knee during his surgery. The man has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after the event and is suing for unspecified damages. He also names an orthopedic and sports medicine center in the malpractice lawsuit and the hospital where the surgery was performed. An x-ray performed two months after his surgery showed a “foreign body’ in his knee. The medical malpractice lawsuit states that the doctor performed follow-up surgery the next day and removed what looked like a broken surgical device from the victim’s knee. To learn more about the malpractice lawsuit, please click the link.

A victim has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after piece of gauze allegedly left behind in a patient after surgery required a follow-up procedure to remove it. The victim filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and two doctors. Also, the victim contends that she only learned through medical records this year while the gauze was left eight years ago. The woman underwent a surgical procedure on her liver in 2000. Two weeks later she was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of an intra-abdominal abscess. This is an infection inside the belly area. During that procedure, they found gauze under the connective tissue that runs throughout the body. She maintains she did not find out about the gauze until obtaining medical records from the hospital this year. Before she found the record, she had no reason to believe a foreign body had been in her abdomen. Disclosing medical errors is one of the biggest issues for medical malpractice reform. To read more about the gauze error, please click the link.

A southern Illinois woman died after being severely burned in a flash fire while undergoing surgery. This has become a rare but vexing medical error in operating rooms. The victim died six days after being burned on the operating table at the hospital. The victim’s attorney had requested medical records from the hospital and that he had few details about what happened. The state medical examiner’s office said the victim died from complications of thermal burns and classified her death as accidental. The hospital only stated that there was an accidental flash fire in one of the hospital’s operating rooms injuring a patient before being immediately extinguished. The hospital could not state how the fire started but that it responded with necessary and appropriate measures. Surgical flash fires oftentimes are sparked by electric surgical tools when oxygen builds up under surgical drapes. The fires actually occur an estimated 550 to 600 times a year but only kill about one or two people each year. However, worries have mounted in recent years with increased use of electrosurgical devices and the replacement of cloth hospital drapes with those made of more-flammable, disposable synthetic fabric. To read more about the surgical fire, please click the link.

A man who was admitted to a military medical center died five months after he had a feeding tube inserted into his lung. The family claims in their medical malpractice suit that the doctors failed to remove the tube immediately after discovering the medical mistake. The government attorneys for the medical center claim the man did not die from the feeding tube, however the man’s death certificate says he died from “overwhelming septic infection and a blood-clotting problem.”

Read more about the medical malpractice lawsuit here.

A woman died after having routine surgery at a hospital. She requested to see her doctor when she experienced excruciating pain after surgery, but was not allegedly examined until the next morning. The examination proved too late because she had already gone into shock and was rushed to intensive care where she died. After her death, the family alleges the hospital deleted portions of her medical file to cover up their medical mistakes. The woman’s medical malpractice attorney claims that “bad mistakes and worst-case outcomes are possible at world-renowned hospitals.”

Read more about the medical malpractice lawsuit here.

A man was awarded $1 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a negligent surgeon. The surgeon allegedly was hired to close a perforation the man had suffered during a colonoscopy, but instead did not find the perforation, according to the man’s medical malpractice lawyer. The perforation then continued to leak fluids into the man’s abdomen.

Read more about the medical malpractice verdict here.

Recently, a jury awarded a 20-year-old woman $872,000 in a medical malpractice case for the severe burns she suffered on her face and neck during surgery. The woman was having a mole removed from her eyebrow and was anesthetized during the procedure. The plastic surgeon was found negligent when he failed to communicate to the anesthesia assistant that he was using a device that could cause an operating room fire when administered near oxygen. Due to this failure to communicate, the device ignited a fire that severely burned the patient. The jury also learned that the negligent doctor did not reveal the cause of the fire to the patient’s family. Read more about this successful medical malpractice case.

Medical malpractice lawyers recently argued their client’s case in front of a judge and jury and received a reward of $12 million for the 33-year-old woman who suffered disability and brain damage during a routine colonoscopy and endoscopy. During the procedure, the doctor perforated her small intestine. After the procedure, the plaintiff developed common symptoms of a perforated small intestine, including severe pain and vomiting. When she contacted the doctor, he prescribed her anti-vomiting medications. The next day, her pain continued and she was taken to the emergency room where they diagnosed her condition. Because of this delayed diagnosis, she went into cardiac arrest, leading to brain damage and permanent disability. Follow the link to read the full article about this medical negligence case.

A Chicago doctor, is being sued “for allegedly botching a circumcision of a 1-day-old baby and cutting off a portion of the infant’s penis,” according to a Chicago news article. The infant had to have emergency surgery to correct the medical error. The infant’s father is suing the Northwestern Memorial doctor for medical malpractice.

Read more about the Chicago medical malpractice suit here.