Colon Doctor Sued over Allegedly Ineffective Colectomy

Case Overview

A colon and rectal surgeon’s ineffective efforts to prevent the spread of cancer in one of his patients caused him to be the subject of a lawsuit. After a flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed cancerous ulcers obstructing a male patient’s distal descending colon, he immediately underwent a colectomy. However, when recurrent cancer with metastasis began to spread through the patient, it was alleged that some part of the cancerous colon had not been removed. The cancer persisted despite aggressive chemotherapy, and the patient became despondent, claiming that he would not need to face life-threatening consequences had the preventative measures been better implemented. For the ensuing malpractice lawsuit, a Colon and Rectal Surgeon was asked to comment on the procedure and preventability of the patient’s condition.