It all started on March 10, 2011. Carolyn Boerste, a 54-year-old American at the time, was operated on at the University of Louisville hospital (in the United States). The 50-year-old is due for heart surgery – coronary bypass surgery.
But in the operating room, nothing goes as planned: the vascular surgeon mistakenly cuts a blood vessel that connects the heart and kidneys, and nurses must intervene to limit the bleeding. A sponge (45 cm by 45 cm …) is then forgotten in the patient’s body. But the forgetfulness goes unnoticed: the fifty-something even notices an improvement in her blood circulation thanks to the surgery.
An “oversight” with dramatic consequences
Four years later, in 2015, Carolyn Boerste is back in the hospital: she suffers from intestinal disorders – probably related to the degradation of the sponge in her digestive system, according to the report written by her lawyers.
A scanner reveals the presence of a foreign body but the emergency doctor decides to ignore this information … and sends the patient home with a diagnosis of urinary tract infection. Even more surprisingly, the results of the scan are transmitted to Carolyn Boerste’s attending physician … who also decides not to tell her about it.
November 2016: the fifty-year-old is urgently transferred to the hospital. She suffers from severe intestinal pain – this being related to the fact that the sponge is blocking transit and bowel movements. A second CT scan is requested and, this time, the doctor is categorical: there is a foreign body in the patient’s intestines. The sponge is then removed by surgery (laparotomy).
A convalescence that ends in an amputation
But the nightmare doesn’t end there: While recovering, Carolyn Boerste develops a problem with her left heel – due to a lack of caregivers, according to her lawyers. Despite two surgeries, the patient had to have an amputation below the knee in July 2017.
This December 13, 2019, after 2 weeks of trial, the now sixty-year-old won her case: the court awarded the complainant approximately 490,000 euros to cover medical expenses already incurred and nearly 757,000 euros for future costs. Carolyn Boerste will also receive the equivalent of 890,000 euros for damages, and 7.2 million euros for bodily and moral injury.
The University of Louisville hospital has appealed. He believes that diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, smoking and the patient’s lifestyle are the cause of her amputation.
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