A patient and his wife are suing three doctors and a local medical center, alleging malpractice when the husband suffered an infection after an allegedly botched series of abdominal surgeries.
James Hennel and Ann Hennel filed a lawsuit June 23 in Cook County Circuit Court against Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers, Uropartners, Dr. Ronald J. Bonaguro, Dr. Frederick E. Wohlberg and Dr. David L. Zumerchik, alleging negligence and malpractice.
According to the complaint, on June 28, 2013, James Hennel was admitted to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park and taken to surgery for a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy during which a Jackson-Pratt drain was placed in the plaintiff. Between June 28-July 7, 2013, the suit says, Hennel was examined by each of the defendant doctors, the drain was removed and he was discharged.
Three days later, the lawsuit states, Hennel was examined and found to have "an ecchymotic flank and a round, soft and tender abdomen." Two days later, according to the lawsuit, he was rushed to the emergency room with "hematuria with clots in his Foley catheter and severe abdominal pain."
The suit says Hennel was operated on again, an open bladder exploration during which a tube was placed, and was discharged on July 19, 2013, but three days later he was found to have a wound infection and superficial hematoma. On July 25, 2013, at the emergency room again, the lawsuit states, Hennel was found to have bleeding around the catheter and pain in his genitals and suprapubic areas and another surgery was performed that day, an exploratory laparotomy sought to evacuate the hematoma and infected araes.
On June 28, 2013, the lawsuit alleges, the defendants "deviated from the standard of care" by failing to timely diagnose a urine leak after surgery, timely treat the leak, order and perform a cystogram before removing the JP drain, and prematurely removed the drain. The complaint says the defendants also placed "Penrose drains" in Hennel, which increased his risk for infection.
James Hennel seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus costs. His wife, Ann, alleging loss of consortium, also seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus costs. They are represented by attorney Susan A. Capra of the Clifford Law Offices in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L006370.