A California man underwent routine knee surgery in April 2024 and hadn't a clue that it would lead to a leg amputation. 57-year-old Wayne Wolff had a torn meniscus and visited UC Irvine Medical Center for typical meniscus surgery. Unfortunately, the surgeon made a huge mistake by allegedly severing an artery that cut off vital blood supply to the limb.
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Instead of coming out of surgery with a repaired meniscus, he left it in excruciating pain. Soon after the operation, his affected leg started to rot. If left untreated, the dying tissue could've spread to the rest of his body, so doctors amputated his left leg below the knee.
Man Sues Hospital After Botched Knee Surgery Leads To Leg Amputation
According to the Daily Mail, Wolff and his wife Lisa are suing the hospital's administrator. Due to the botched surgery, Wolff is asking for an undisclosed sum for many different reasons: abuse, neglect, negligence, loss of consortium, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The success rate of meniscus surgery is quite high, and according to Physiopedia, it's typically around an 85-90% chance of success. Damage to your meniscus cartilage can lead to severe pain or even permanent health issues in your knee. Cleveland Clinic lists a few complications of this surgery like blood clots or infections. Still, they consider this surgery "safe and effective."
Due to how safe this surgery typically is, the couple's attorney Jeoffrey Robinson is confident about the lawsuit. "We look forward to adjudicating this matter in a public forum," said Robinson as reported by the LA Times. "This scenario should never happen to anyone ever again."
According to Lisa, a nurse practitioner who has previously worked in an ER, doctors and medical personnel wouldn't listen. She was pleading for her husband to receive a test to find out why he was suffering such pain after the surgery. Sadly, they allegedly ignored CT scans and ultrasound requests.
It took three days for doctors to finally act on his pain, resulting in them amputating his leg. Now through this lawsuit, the couple seeks general and special damages, attorney fees, loss of earnings, medical expenses, and interest.
In the lawsuit, the couple also allege that the surgeon, Dr Dean Wang, told Wolff that he simply "nicked" a blood vessel during surgery. They also claim Wang said they didn't have to worry about it, which was far from the truth. The case is officially scheduled to appear in court this July.
