A woman from Plymouth, in northeast Pennsylvania, has brought a lawsuit against two doctors and the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital alleging that their medical malpractice resulted in, among other things, pain, anxiety, depression, and infertility. In total, she is seeking $550,000 in damages against the defendants.
According to the lawsuit filed last week, Michelle Hebda had previously undergone two surgeries performed by Dr. John Frye and had been diagnosed with endometriosis and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. In August of 2009, she sought treatment from Dr. Frye claiming that she was hoping to conceive a child. Frye allegedly suggested a surgery to evaluate her previous conditions, but did not provide Hebda with an explanation of the procedure he wished to perform, or the advantages, disadvantages, or risks of the procedure.
The surgery was performed later in August. After the surgery was complete, Hebda complained to a nurse that she felt sick and had never felt that way after her previous surgeries. Despite her complaints of intense pain, she was discharged from the hospital and given medication. Later that day she became violently ill with uncontrollable vomiting.
The next day, Hebda attempted to contact Dr. Frye, but was told by an on-call doctor that her symptoms were most likely just due to a reaction from the anesthesia. When she spoke with Dr. Frye the next day, he told her that her history of gastrointestinal problems might be responsible for her sickness.
Despite telling Frye that she had no history of gastrointestinal problems, Hebda was told to call the on-all doctor again if her symptoms persisted. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Frye made notes regarding this office visit saying that Hebda claimed to be feeling well, but had mild cramping. His note also indicated Hebda was experiencing no nausea or vomiting.
In our next post, we will finish this story with more details from this case as well as some discussion of "informed consent" and how that applies to medical malpractice cases.
Related Resources: $550,000 lawsuit filed over medical treatment (The Times Leader)