Surgical glove found in patient two years later, lawsuit pending

It’s just about every person’s fear that something will go wrong when they go in for surgery. That’s because, despite the insistence of hospital staff that patients are well taken care of, residents here in South Carolina know that medical mistakes can happen anywhere and often have life-changing consequences as well.

Our readers here in Spartanburg can see this exemplified by a case of medical malpractice in which a woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer only to realize that this was a misdiagnosis when a non-latex glove was discovered in her abdomen from a surgery two years previously.  Much like anyone here would do in her situation, the woman is now suing the hospital for its negligence and is seeking compensation for the problems this mistake has caused her.

Problems began back in 2011 when the woman underwent surgery to “enhance her chances at becoming pregnant.” Even though she told doctors that she was experiencing severe abdominal pain post-surgery, she was told this was completely normal. But the pain and discomfort did not abate, she claims in court, and was later told by doctors that she had a large cyst that resembled ovarian cancer in her abdomen. But when she went in for surgery in 2013 for a hysterectomy, doctors discovered that a non-latex glove had been left behind from the 2011 surgery.

Unfortunately, as some people know, surgical errors like the one above are more common than most people think. And as we mentioned before, it’s because of instances just like this that so many people fear undergoing surgery. Although seeking compensation from a negligent hospital will never turn back time and stop a medical mistake from occurring, it can at least give victims the sense of justice they deserve.

Source: Courthouse News, “The Worst That Could Happen …” Joe Harris, Dec. 30, 2013