Surgeries are normally quite a scary thing. At least for me, the idea of being put under the knife is absolutely terrifying, whether I'm put under or not. But, there should be some comfort in that you're being treated by professionals who work hard every day to save people's lives.
At least, that's what you should expect. That's because an Iowa woman has tragically died after a low-risk routine surgery went wrong. And now, according to the New York Post, her family has launched a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed against Dr Edwin Vincent Wehling, as well as nurses Brandi Oesch and Tammy Roberts. All three were working at the Decatur County Hospital in Iowa. The hospital has also been named as a defendant in the family's lawsuit. The Iowa Board of Medicine also charged the doctor with "professional incompetency".
46-year-old Laura Belt passed away after a bowel perforation during the surgery caused severe sepsis. But, the issues caused by sepsis, which are supposedly easy to spot, were brushed away as "normal" by staff.
Belt originally came in for a "routine" hernia repair surgery, which normally does not carry much risk. But, according to the lawsuit, Belt allegedly told staff she was "very uncomfortable" after the procedure, as well as "very anxious and tearful."
She added that there was a "constant drainage" of "significant amounts of feculent, brown liquid" coming from where they operated. She had also not had a bowel movement since the surgery, suggesting that something was seriously wrong.
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The Hospital Staff Assured Her These Post Surgery Woes Were "Normal"
Even after she had been discharged from hospital, she was still experiencing these terrifying symptoms. But, when she consulted with one of the nurses, she assured Belt that this wasn't anything abnormal.
In a text from the doctor to Belt, he explained: "Consulted with Brandi, she states all is normal... Brandi (Roberts) stated incision will drain like this for at least a month."
But, as you could probably expect, it was not normal. The lack of action from staff had lead to sepsis, since the perforated bowel had caused a serious infection.
Rest in peace to Laura Belt. We hope that justice will be served appropriately.
