A patient has sued a doctor and medical institution who performed procedures that allegedly led to his legs becoming permanently paralyzed.
Kelvin Kakazu filed a lawsuit June 2 in Cook County Circuit Court against Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare, Edward Hospital, Edward Health Ventures, and Dr. Michael J. Caron, alleging medical negligence.
According to the complaint, on July 16, 2013, Kakazu went to the emergency room at Edward Hospital in Naperville complaining of his lower extremities being numb and an MRI revealed spinal lesions. Four days later, the lawsuit states, he underwent a "T4-6 left hemilaminectomy for a spinal cord cyst and litigation of an epidural arteriovenous fistula."
Later that day, the suit states, he was returned to surgery with post-operative bilateral paraplegia and early the next morning he underwent a spinal angiography. The paraplegia remained and July 30, he was discharged from Edward Hospital and referred to Rush University Medical Center where he received more treatment for paraplegia, the suit says.
The suit cites the defendants for: recommending and performing unnecessary litigation of Kakazu's artery to the spinal cord; depriving the blood flow to the spinal cord, leading to cord damage; failing to perform a simple fenestration and drainage to treat the patient's simple spinal cord cyst; and injuring his spinal cord blood vessels during the procedures. As a result, the lawsuit states, the plaintiff suffered personal and pecuniary injuries.
Kakazu seeks damages in excess of $100,000, plus costs. He is represented by attorneys Keith A. Hebeisen, Bradley M. Cosgrove and Sarah F. King of the Clifford Law Offices in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L005549.