An Atlanta hospital is the subject of a new lawsuit accusing the facility of losing part of a patient’s skull.
According to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE, Fernando and Maria Cluster accuse Emory University Hospital Midtown staff of losing part of Fernando’s skull during a September 2022 stay at the facility for treatment of an intracerebral hemorrhage, otherwise known as a brain hemorrhage.
According to the complaint, the condition prompted hospital staff to perform emergency surgery on Cluster, in which part of his skull was removed. The surgeons who performed the procedure removed approximately 4.7 by 5.9 inches. a flap of bone with the intention of reattaching the part during a subsequent operation, which would take place a few weeks after the first.
Emory University Hospital Midtown.
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However, “When Emory staff went to retrieve the bone flap,” in November 2022, “there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification” and therefore Emory “could not be certain which, if any, belonged to Mr. Cluster ‘, the complaint states.
As a result of Cluster’s alleged loss of part of his skull, the patient required a synthetic bone flap that he claims caused a longer, more intensive hospitalization and fueled an infection that required another surgery, according to the complaint.
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Prosecutors further allege that Cluster suffered “medical expenses in excess of $146,845.60” and that in the time since the surgery, he suffered permanent injuries, was unable to work and took a toll on his relationship with his family.
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The complaint does not specify the dollar amount the clusters are seeking, but notes that they are seeking both special and general damages.
PEOPLE reached out to Emory Health for comment on the lawsuit, but they did not immediately respond.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, intracerebral hemorrhage is “the second most common cause of stroke (15-30% of strokes) and the most lethal.”
The association notes that the condition can occur when arteries or veins rupture, which can be triggered by abnormal pressure, abnormal development or trauma. Bleeding in turn can damage brain tissue and create additional pressure inside the patient’s skull that causes further damage to the brain as a whole.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education