A father is suing a doctor and a Chicago hospital on behalf of his minor son following an appendectomy which he claims caused substantial physical harm to the child.
Marco Palacios, as father and next friend of Bryan Palacios, brought a lawsuit against Zahurul Huq and Norwegian American Hospital Inc., doing business as Norwegian American Hospital, on Aug. 3 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging personal injury and medical malpractice in the December 2013 procedure.
The suit states that Dr. Huq performed laparoscopic appendectomy surgery on the boy at Norwegian American Hospital, located at 1044 N. Francisco Ave., Chicago, on Dec. 25, 2013, for acute appendicitis.
Palacios alleges that the doctor placed staples improperly across the patient’s terminal ileum, which the lawsuit states caused a complete bowel obstruction, abdominal pain, and vomiting in the child. A postoperative CT scan showed a small bowel obstruction later on Dec. 29, 2013.
The plaintiff charges the defendant with negligence for failing to perform the procedure properly, verify that staples were located appropriately, diagnose and treat the ensuing obstruction, recognize the clinical signs and symptoms of such an obstruction, and order additional tests in a timely manner.
According to the complaint, Bryan had to undergo additional surgery, suffered pain and disfigurement, and incurred extra medical expenses.
The plaintiff demands judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional amount, plus attorney’s fees and costs. He is represented by Jennifer Scifo of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L007857.