General Surgery Expert Advises On Emergency Appendectomy That Resulted In Sepsis

Case Overview

This case takes place in Nebraska and involves inadequate surgical and post surgical care rendered by a general surgeon to a pregnant woman who required an emergency appendectomy and later developed sepsis. The 23-week pregnant female patient who presented to the ER with symptoms of appendicitis. An emergent appendectomy was performed and the patient’s appendix was not yet ruptured prior to removal. During the appendectomy, the appendix was ruptured and spilled into her abdominal cavity due to mishandling during surgery. Despite the knowledge of the spillage, the surgeon did not prescribe an antibiotic to the patient upon hospital discharge. In the days and weeks immediately following the surgery, the patient complained of severe back pain and pain originating from the surgical site. She underwent numerous medical examinations to determine the source of pain. One physician diagnosed her with constipation and prescribed her Miralax. Another physician drained a large amount of foul smelling pus from the surgical wound and left the wound open. After nearly 3-weeks of complaints following surgery – and numerous follow up visits with other physicians on staff at the same hospital where the appendectomy had been performed – the patient presented once more to the ER. An emergency C-section was ordered and it was recognized that the patient (and her baby had developed sepsis (as well as chorioamnionitis. Both mother and baby required significant care and treatment resulting from this poorly managed episode, including intensive post surgical care and neonatal intensive care for the baby.