In October 2009, Patricia Roland of Thousand Oaks underwent heart surgery at age 57 to replace her mitral valve, which helps regulate the flow of blood from one chamber of the heart to the next. The procedure proved troublesome from start to finish.
First, the surgeon erroneously looped a suture around the prosthetic valve, undercutting its operations and causing it to leak. Additionally, the surgical team didn’t properly check for issues before taking Roland off cardiac bypass. On top of everything else, the surgeon removed a portion of the heart that acts to buttress its back wall, causing Roland’s heart to rupture.
Although the surgeon managed to save her life, Roland was left with a badly damaged heart because of medical negligence during surgery. But this was only the start of her troubles. Within 24 hours of the surgery, Roland’s vital signs were crashing and she went into respiratory distress, causing her kidney and other organs to shut down. Over the course of the next two weeks, she was repeatedly on and off a respirator. With her body revolting, gangrene set into her extremities.
As a result, doctors amputated Roland’s hands and all or parts of her feet. She now resides in an assisted living facility requiring around-the-clock care. Because of the medical negligence cap that has endured at $250,000 without adjusted for 45 years, Roland will never receive fair compensation for the horrific pain and suffering she endured.
