When is the last time you had to undergo surgery? Chances are, it went off without a hitch and you were eventually sent home without any major complications or medical tools accidentally left floating around your insides. One Tennessee man wasn’t so lucky. In May 2017, 73-year-old John Burns Johnson was admitted to Tristar Centennial hospital in Nashville to undergo an open heart surgery. However, a month after the procedure, he died. According to a lawsuit filed by Johnson’s family, the surgeon who performed his open heart surgery left a needle inside of him, resulting in his death.
When is the last time you had to undergo surgery? Chances are, it went off without a hitch and you were eventually sent home without any major complications or medical tools accidentally left floating around your insides. One Tennessee man wasn’t so lucky. In May 2017, 73-year-old John Burns Johnson was admitted to Tristar Centennial hospital in Nashville to undergo an open heart surgery. However, a month after the procedure, he died. According to a lawsuit filed by Johnson’s family, the surgeon who performed his open heart surgery left a needle inside of him, resulting in his death.
According to the suit, the forgotten needle became lost inside the body of Johnson during the medical procedure. The surgeon, Dr. Sreekumar Subramanian, reportedly “realized he was missing a surgical needle after closing Johnson’s chest upon completion of the nine-hour procedure.” Upon realizing the mistake, the hospital ordered an X-ray, which confirmed that the “needle was inside the man’s body.” As a result, Johnson had to undergo a second surgery to have the needle removed. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful because the surgeon “was unable to remove it.” At the time, it wasn’t known whether the needle was simply in a position making it hard to remove, or if the surgeon was unable to find it.
Tragically, about a month later, Johnson passed away. When discussing the nature of his death, the lawsuit states:
“Mr. Johnson’s condition continued to deteriorate over the next thirty days. He was critically ill and never saw his home again.”
The suit also notes that eventually the needle was removed during Johnson’s autopsy and states that Johnson’s death was “reportedly painful, unnecessary and wrongful.”
So how has Tristar responded to the allegations and lawsuit? Well, so far the hospital issued a statement saying it “takes the responsibility of properly caring for our patients very seriously and empathize with the understandable grief being felt by the family.” It declined to comment on the allegations mentioned in the suit, though. Additionally, a spokesperson for Tristar has also declined requests for comment from the media.
How common are cases like the one Johnson and his family went through? Are forgotten needles and other objects a common occurrence during medical procedures? Well, according to the Journal of American College of Surgeons, it’s rare for medical objects like needles to be left inside a patient’s body. In fact, only about “1 of every 5,500 to 7,000 surgeries…result in surgical needles, sponges,” and other items being left behind.
Sources:
Tennessee family sues hospital after surgeon leaves needle in patient who later died: report
Family says surgeon left needle in patient who later died: lawsuit
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