Posted on 09/20/2007 11:36:05 AM PDT by stm
DES MOINES, Iowa — A woman is suing her gynecologist for allegedly not telling her that he accidentally cut open a tumor he removed from her ovary, spilling cancerous tissue in her abdomen and causing her cancer to spread.
The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court by Lavonne Schroeter, alleges that Dr. Curtis Hoegh's negligence during and after the operation "will cause her premature death." The lawsuit also names his employer, Iowa Health Physicians and Clinics, as a defendant.
The 53-year-old Schroeter says the Des Moines doctor removed her tumor in 2002, but he never mentioned it was cancerous or discussed any mishaps during surgery. However, Hoegh had Schroeter undergo an electronic scan after a blood test raised concerns three years later, and more growths were found.
Another surgeon removed several cancerous tumors and prescribed medication, but the cancer continued to spread, the lawsuit states. Last year, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told her that Hoegh had accidentally cut into her tumor and caused the spread of the cancer, which is terminal but treatable, according to the lawsuit.
Schroeter's lawyer, Roxanne Conlin of Des Moines, says the Mayo doctor found out about the mistake by reading her client's medical records.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I seen that too! Terminal but treatable? Huh?
That's what's of interest about this story.
For those who don't know, "spillling" ovarian cancer is a constant hazard of this type of surgery,and it happens with some frequency. It's a well-known and well-recognized complication, and, as such, rarely leads to lawsuits (because there's no payoff for the bloodsucker).
But local papers have banner headlines all the time about absurd malpractice suits like this one.
Where do they get the info? What turns it into a story?
Who knows?
The idea is to embarrass the doc into settling. When you read the details, the plaintiff, the defendant and the defendant's lawyer will be named, but the plaintiff atty will not be. He doesn't like to be on the rec'ing end of some of the resentment from the public and has worked it out in advance with the reporter.
This happened in a mold suit against a school--a suit which infuriated the townspeople. Every few days, a new account of it, and the plaintiff's atty was never named until angry letters got sent.
Now, if the plaintiff prevails, the lawyer is very happy for the publicity and finally gets his name in the paper.
“Where do they get the info? What turns it into a story?
Who knows?””
The local bloodsucker’s trying to run a case to settlement through the media...thats who!!
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