Early in December a jury awarded a couple $10 million in a case involving a hysterectomy that went badly wrong, according to a story in the New York Post, among other news sites.
In October 2018, Michele Nugent, 41, of Staten Island, New York, underwent the procedure at Richmond University Medical Center in West New Brighton. After giving birth to four children via cesarean delivery, she had developed scarring and was suffering from excessive and painful uterine bleeding.
A few days after her hysterectomy, however, Nugent experienced what she described as the worst pain of her life, along with nausea, vomiting, and urinary leakage. She was brought to the hospital emergency department, where she was reportedly told by staff there that her symptoms were normal complications of her surgery and that the treating gynecologist would soon be in touch.
Despite these reassurances, Nugent's postsurgical issues continued to worsen over the next 10 days. Among other things, she lost almost complete control of her bladder, which required her to wear adult diapers. Still, her doctor's office told her to put off visiting until her next scheduled appointment.
At that meeting, which took place 13 days after Nugent's surgery, the gynecologist diagnosed a urinary tract infection and placed her on antibiotics.
