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COOK COUNTY RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Family alleges poor hernia surgery, faulty surgical follow-up led to woman's death

Advocatesouthsuburban

A woman's family is suing several health care businesses and four doctors over a hernia surgery and post-operative treatment they allege led to her death.

Pablo Espinosa, as representative of the estate of Carmen Espinosa, filed a complaint July 1 in Cook County Circuit Court against Radiology Imaging Consultants SC, Advocate South Suburban Hospital, Suburban Emergency Physicians Group SC, and physicians Bhurji Narindar Singh, James Richardson, Carl Johnson and Reginald Thomas. 

On April 6, 2010, the deceased was admitted to Advocate South Suburban Hospital and underwent a ventral hernia surgery, performed by Johnson. The lawsuit states that during this surgery, she suffered a perforated small bowel. She returned to the emergency room the next day, the lawsuit states, complaining of extreme pain.  A CT scan was performed, the lawsuit states, and the results were analyzed by defendant Singh.

The complaint alleges Singh failed to recognize the scan showed extravasation of an oral contrast agent and to inform the surgeon and ER physician about this condition. 

The complaint alleges the hospital failed to provide Espinosa with a proper physical assessment, to have a nursing diagnosis that oversaw cardiac output, to recognize Espinosa was in shock, to institute nursing interventions, and to transfer her to a critical care area of the hospital. 

The complaint alleges Richardson and his practice delayed a surgical consultation and failed to get a second consultation, and failed to recognize her vital signs were consistent with and to treat her for shock and sepsis.

The complaint alleges Johnson committed surgical error in her hernia repair and failed to assess his post-op patient, failed to get a surgical consultation, failed to recognize her vital signs were consistent with sepsis and shock, and failed to take her to the operating room in a timely way.

The complaint alleges Thomas delayed a consultation and failed to get a second surgical consultation, failed to recognize her vitals were consistent with sepsis and shock, and failed to treat her properly for sepsis and shock. 

As a result, the lawsuit states, Carmen Espinosa suffered personal and pecuniary injuries that led to her death on April 8, 2010.

The plaintiff seeks damages in excess of the court's jurisdictional limit, plus costs. The plaintiff is represented by Elizabeth A. Kaveny, of Burke, Wise, Morrissey and Kaveny LLC in Chicago. 

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2015L006730.

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