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I found out after knee replacement a drill bit was broken off and left in my femur. This was at my six week checkup. In the surgical notes it states there were no complications and all surgical equipment was okay before and after surgery. I am having pain and burning still which I have had since surgery. I have complained all along and the dr at my 12 week checkup said I was in the healing process. I feel I should seek legal counseling but i am more concerned about infection because of the bit. What should I do?
I found out after knee replacement a drill bit was broken off and left in my femur. This was at my six week checkup. In the surgical notes it states there were no complications and all surgical equipment was okay before and after surgery. I am having pain and burning still which I have had since surgery. I have complained all along and the dr at my 12 week checkup said I was in the healing process. I feel I should seek legal counseling but i am more concerned about infection because of the bit. What should I do?
You need to go get another opinion from another Dr. but do not tell them who the Dr was that left it in your knee.
It can be a regular DR get an X-ray and go from there.
Good Luck
Since the drill bit us used exclusively in surgery and sterilized before each use there shouldn't be an issue. I am saying this as someone who has had a drill bit in my foot since 1992. Mine, too broke off and they spent a couple of hours trying to retrieve it but it wasn't possible. The difference between our stories is that I WAS told upon recovery about the drill bit and you were not. That would be an issue for me.
I found out after knee replacement a drill bit was broken off and left in my femur. This was at my six week checkup. In the surgical notes it states there were no complications and all surgical equipment was okay before and after surgery. I am having pain and burning still which I have had since surgery. I have complained all along and the dr at my 12 week checkup said I was in the healing process. I feel I should seek legal counseling but i am more concerned about infection because of the bit. What should I do?
I would go to another doctor and a lawyer. People who don't do good post op count and check need to find different jobs as far as I am concerned. His staff may of lied to him. But the lawyer will figure that all out.
The burning is common though with normal healing. If it does not fade away though, you have to do a follow up to see what is wrong.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilson513
If you didn't get infected in the first 168 hours, you won't. But, you have a great case for the lawyers.
That depends. It's a very difficult thing to prove medical gross negligence unless the doctor did something like operate on the wrong appendage, sterilize the wrong woman or remove the wrong testicle and the doctor's insurance company is going to have a team of lawyers that specialize in shooting down malpractice suits.
Also, many states have made medical lawsuits into a very, very difficult process and capped your potential awards.
Definitely get an opinion from another MD and consult with a lawyer for sure, but don't expect a winning lotto ticket.
I do hope it is not what you suspect but if it is yep I agree go to another dr and get an mri and see if it was left in your knee and then if it is have a dr tell you what it would take to get it out and then go from there and seek legal council . I agree medical people who leave thing behind so to speak should seek other jobs .My son had a friend when he was in high school and I knew her father pretty well and he told me that his daughter was having horrible stomach pains and lo and behold she went to the bathroom one day and while wipping she found gauze coming out of her rear end and then they went immediately to the er and got an xray of the intestine and found several sponges and they scheduled emergency surgery . They are suing for the cost of the surgery and the dr's staff licenses to be revoked . The father told me that she had some gauze wrapped around her instestine as well . she could have died from infection the surgeon told her dad . So after three wks in the hospital and iv antibiotics she finally got well with intensive home care and it took her almost three months to get well . So yes you should move quickly to find out what it is and God bless you .
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,766,834 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by phonelady61
I do hope it is not what you suspect but if it is yep I agree go to another dr and get an mri and see if it was left in your knee and then if it is have a dr tell you what it would take to get it out and then go from there and seek legal council . I agree medical people who leave thing behind so to speak should seek other jobs .My son had a friend when he was in high school and I knew her father pretty well and he told me that his daughter was having horrible stomach pains and lo and behold she went to the bathroom one day and while wipping she found gauze coming out of her rear end and then they went immediately to the er and got an xray of the intestine and found several sponges and they scheduled emergency surgery . They are suing for the cost of the surgery and the dr's staff licenses to be revoked . The father told me that she had some gauze wrapped around her instestine as well . she could have died from infection the surgeon told her dad . So after three wks in the hospital and iv antibiotics she finally got well with intensive home care and it took her almost three months to get well . So yes you should move quickly to find out what it is and God bless you .
Well, leaving a sponge or a rag in a crowded and sensitive abdominal cavity is one thing - but a drill bit breaking off in bone is another. If it broke it was probably a really tiny bit and a patient's femur isn't exactly a 2x4 that you don't mind digging around in to get the sucker out.
Also, I'm fairly certain that the drill bit would have been titanium - but I would want to be TOTALLY certain before getting into an MRI machine.
Well, leaving a sponge or a rag in a crowded and sensitive abdominal cavity is one thing - but a drill bit breaking off in bone is another. If it broke it was probably a really tiny bit and a patient's femur isn't exactly a 2x4 that you don't mind digging around in to get the sucker out.
Also, I'm fairly certain that the drill bit would have been titanium - but I would want to be TOTALLY certain before getting into an MRI machine.
They are all very hard to see. Its why you are suppose to count the items. Rags and sponges can easily look like flesh with blood soaked into them.
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