Kentucky medical patients who undergo back surgery have the right to reasonably expect that the surgeons performing their operations know what they’re doing and are acting in accordance with accepted safety standards. After all, that’s not too much to expect when a person is entrusting his or her spine to someone. It doesn’t always happen that way, however, as made evident in recent medical malpractice court hearings in another state.
In this particular situation, the same surgeon has been accused by more than one patient. The two patients underwent back surgeries. Both had been referred to the surgeon by other doctors.
The problem is, instead of getting better, the patients appear to have become permanently disabled, each suffering searing pain and unable to function as they once did. One of the men has a 7-year-old child with whom he can no longer play; he testified that he used to be an avid skier and can now barely get through a day without agony. He also told the court that during one post-operative meeting with his surgeon, the doctor appeared to be high on drugs. He claimed that he easily recognizes this in people because he himself is a recovering drug addict.
Other doctors testified against the surgeon as well. One said the surgery he performed is considered by most back surgeons to be the easiest, most common elective spine operation there is; yet, this particular surgeon completely botched it. There are more testimonies expected in this case. Anyone in Kentucky who suffers pain believed to have been caused by medical malpractice can pursue justice in a civil court by enlisting the help of a personal injury attorney.
Source:Â dmagazine.com, “In Second Day of Testimony, Doctor Calls Neurosurgeon Duntsch’s Outcomes ‘Catastrophic’“, Matt Goodman, Feb. 3, 2017