Becker's reported on two ongoing court cases involving spine surgery in the last 7 days.
1. A man who had spine surgery in 2017 is suing University of California San Diego alleging he woke up during the four-hour procedure. Months after his surgery, the man learned his anesthesiologist was found after the procedure unconscious and surrounded by empty syringes of sufentanil, an opioid. The patient alleged the former head of anesthesia, a nurse anesthetist and UCSD covered up Mr. Hay's drug addiction, falsified records and lied about what happened. The case went to trial Jan. 17.
2. A woman is suing Casper-based Wyoming Medical Center and two physicians for wrongful death on behalf of her husband who had spine surgery in 2018. The case went to trial Jan. 17. The woman alleged Lee Warren, MD, tore her late husband's abdominal aorta near his lower spine, causing "undiagnosed hemorrhaging." The patient was in a state of shock after surgery, required additional surgery and died in the intensive care unit.