Patient accuses surgeon of severing nerve that controls mouth movement

A man is suing an area surgeon over claims one of his nerve was severed during a procedure.

Raymond Johnson filed a complaint Nov. 20 in Cook County Circuit Court against Dr. Michael DaValle and Cardiac Surgery Associates.

According to the complaint, DaValle, a cardiothoracic surgeon, performed a left carotid endarterectomy on Johnson at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital on April 23, 2013, when the plaintiff claims the defendant severed his hypoglossal nerve, which controls movement of the mouth.

Johnson claims he has undergone extensive treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for complications relating to his hypoglossal nerve injury, which allegedly caused impaired speech and difficulty swallowing, among other issues.

The plaintiff is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, plus court costs, and is represented by Chicago attorney John M. Saletta.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L012086.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.