Suit: Medical staff left sponge in patient's body

A man is suing a Chicago medical center he claims left a sponge in his body during surgery.

Joseph Payne filed suit Jan. 5 in Cook County Circuit Court against Presence Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center at 5645 W. Addison St.

According to the complaint, Payne, who underwent gastric surgery on Jan. 4, 2013 at the center for conditions including the presence of blood in his stool, maintains the defendant's staff failed to remove a sponge from the surgical wound prior to closure.

Staff, he claims, failed to follow standard post-surgery procedures that typically includes counting to ensure all sponges have been removed from the surgical site and using x-ray or other methods when there is a discrepancy in the sponge count.

As a result of the defendants' alleged negligence, Payne says he developed an abscess that required further surgical intervention. He seeks more than $50,000 in damages and is represented by attorney Raymond C. Steadmon of Lane & Lane in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015000041.

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