The widow of a Vietnam veteran who underwent a dental procedure and ultimately died as a result of complications afterward said that her husband survived war and cancer but was unable to survive a simple dental implant surgery. She blames her husband’s death on medical malpractice, claiming that the dentists’ negligence caused her husband’s demise. She further asserts that doctors knew of the error but did not disclose the information. Florida patients who believe that a doctor has hidden information that resulted in a serious illness or death of a loved one may want to be aware of the recent events regarding the above-mentioned case.
The 69-year-old military veteran underwent dental surgery during an outpatient procedure. Apparently, during the procedure, doctors realized that the patient had swallowed a strip of surgical gauze. However, that information was never disclosed to the patient following surgery.
His now-widowed wife said that he became extremely ill after the procedure. Another physician discovered the information about the gauze while reviewing the patient’s VA medical records. Sadly, the discovery appears to have been made too late as the man was never able to recover from the serious infection that resulted. He died just six months later.
In similar incidents in Florida and elsewhere, patients have experienced illness due to a doctor’s failure to disclose a medical error. A person who has lost a loved one under such circumstances is able to file a medical malpractice claim in a civil court on the victim’s behalf. Clearly, simple outpatient medical procedures are not supposed to lead to death. Those suffering from medical negligence are able to seek restitution through the legal system.
Source: newsnet5.com, “Culture of Secrecy: How hospitals hide medical malpractice“, Sarah Buduson, Nov. 12, 2015
