$15,500 Verdict For Failure To Remove Ovary: In September 2022, a 12-person Washington medical malpractice jury sitting in Asotin County Superior Court deliberated for six hours before returning its verdict in favor of the plaintiffs for noneconomic damages in the amount of $15,500 for the alleged medical negligence of a gynecologist in failing to remove the plaintiff’s right ovary during surgery.
Plaintiffs Renee Wassell and her husband, Jeremy Wassell, sued Dr. Geneen Bigsby and Catalyst Medical Group for medical malpractice in 2019 for allegedly telling Renee that her right ovary was “surgically absent” after a laparoscopy in 2017 (Renee’s left ovary had been previously surgically removed). Her ovaries were removed to alleviate her painful symptoms of endometritis.
In the months following the laparoscopy, Renee visited the emergency room on two occasions due to severe abdominal pain. Medical testing determined that she had a pelvic mass that was found to be her right ovary, which was subsequently removed.
The defense argued to the Washington medical malpractice jury that Bigsby had not breached the standard of care, which Bigsby herself explained during her deposition how Renee’s right ovary could have been missed during the laparoscopy.
Source
Bigsby is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Lewiston, Idaho. She is affiliated with St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in practice for 27 years.
Oophorectomy (Surgical Removal Of One Or Both Ovaries)
Fertility and endocrine consequences after bilateral oophorectomy are clear, with abrupt cessation of fertility and immediate menopause. Several other consequences affecting womenʼs overall health, such as increased risk of cardiovascular and neurological disease and an increased overall risk of mortality, have been reported. It is well established that bilateral oophorectomy performed for preventive or curative reasons before the onset of menopause negatively affects womenʼs overall health. Negative sequelae include an increased risk over time of cardiovascular and neurological diseases , mental disorders, and overall mortality.
On the other hand, relatively little is known about the consequences of unilateral oophorectomy (UO). The remaining ovary after UO maintains sufficient endocrine function to avoid the occurrence of symptoms linked to bilateral oophorectomy. However, there is still relatively little knowledge about the long-term effects on womenʼs overall health and the reproductive potential of women who have had UO.
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