Few people in New York or elsewhere look forward to surgical procedures, and the one enticement to having an operation may be the anesthesia, which blocks the pain and often allows the patient to sleep through the procedure. However, anesthesia is also risky since it is not always possible for anesthesiologists to know how it will affect the patient, especially in an emergency situation. One woman is suing an anesthesiologist and hospital for the pain and suffering she claims they inflicted on her during an emergency C-section.
The woman’s labor was induced in her 41st week of pregnancy, but at some point during labor, the obstetrician lost the baby’s heartbeat. The doctor decided an emergency C-section was necessary, and she reportedly paged for the anesthesiologist. However, the anesthesiologist apparently could not be located, and the patient claims the doctor proceeded to operate without administering anesthesia. The patient alleges she could feel the cutting of the knife, and her husband reports hearing his wife’s screams and cries for help.
About halfway through the surgery, the anesthesiologist arrived, and a healthy baby girl was born. However, the woman and her husband are seeking compensation for emotional distress, medical malpractice, and assault and battery. The hospital vehemently denies the charges and assured that the woman received appropriate anesthesia before surgery began.
Since anesthesiologists are among the specialists most frequently named in medical malpractice lawsuits, it follows that many in New York seek aggressive defense when named in a complaint. Such actions can be detrimental to one’s career and livelihood. Seeking the advocacy of an attorney with experience standing up for doctors facing malpractice claims is a wise first step when faced with such matters.