Adriana Saldana had just welcomed her second child into the world. However, during her pregnancy, she encountered complications that included significant bleeding, requiring her to be placed on temporary bed rest. Adriana and her husband were thrilled with the two sons they had together and made the decision to stop expanding their family. To ensure this choice was permanent, Adriana visited her OB/GYN to discuss sterilization options. After a thorough conversation, her doctor recommended a tubal ligation as the best solution to achieve her goal of permanent sterilization. Before the procedure, she signed consent forms that clearly stated the procedure was permanent and irreversible.
After the procedure, Adriana was sent home believing that she had nothing to worry about. Shortly after, her husband received a job offer for his dream career, prompting a move from Bakersfield to Temecula. Once they settled into their new home, Adriana embraced her own ambition by landing her dream job at a law firm and returning to school to pursue a paralegal qualification. Their lives felt perfectly aligned with their aspirations. Everything changed when Adriana unexpectedly missed her menstrual period.
Adriana’s cycle was always predictable, starting on the 27th of each month without fail. When she took a home pregnancy test, her worst fears were confirmed—she was pregnant again. Filled with anxiety, she scheduled a blood test for the next day which verified it. Only five days later, her hormone levels began to plummet, potential signs of a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. Confusion and heartbreak overwhelmed her as she tried to grasp how this could happen. Adriana found herself in an incredibly tumultuous state, and the weight of it all was unbearable.
Seeking answers and accountability, Adriana contacted Consumer Watchdog. She shared her concerns due to her age and both of her sons suffering from severe jaundice due to blood type incompatibility. She feared pregnancy complications. A day later, she began to experience painful cramps, severe back pain, and chest pain. As her cramping intensified, she feared she might be experiencing a miscarriage. The pain became so overwhelming that she could not take her children to school. She reached out to her healthcare provider, who promptly advised her to go directly to the emergency room. She arrived at the hospital around 10 AM, experiencing intense pain. A vaginal ultrasound revealed that there was no pregnancy in her uterus. However, the ultrasound raised concerns, and they were unable to rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy. Fueled by the fear that she may not survive an ectopic pregnancy, Adriana called her eldest son to tell him how much she loved him. She could not submit to further care without letting her sons know how much they meant to her. She was transferred to another hospital to determine if she was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, but drove herself since the wait for an ambulance would take hours and she was facing a life-threatening crisis. Upon arrival, she was rushed into emergency surgery. Her kids stayed up, anxiously waiting for her, and when they finally saw her, their worry turned to tears. Her 9-year-old son had thought she was going to die.
Following her surgery, the surgeon made it clear that Adriana should have had her fallopian tubes removed by her former OB. The surgeon explained they managed to resolve the ectopic pregnancy by removing it and her fallopian tubes. She told them, “It’s good you came in when you did. If that ectopic pregnancy had ruptured, you would have died.” Adriana and her family were left traumatized.
Adriana was further troubled after viewing media reports that her former obstetrician had harmed numerous mothers, failed his competency exam, and faced a cease-practice order. Until now, she had no idea of his history. With family, including sisters and nieces, living in Bakersfield, Adriana felt a sense of responsibility. She feared for the safety of other mothers should this obstetrician regain his ability to practice medicine.
She recently returned to Bakersfield, where she is diligently researching OB/GYNs. Her past experience has made her wary of medical negligence, prompting her to make informed choices for her healthcare.
Upon leaving the hospital, she took immediate action and met with Consumer Watchdog to file a consumer complaint. Adriana filed her consumer complaint with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. She feels it is unacceptable that women in the Central Valley lack access to safe obstetrical care, and believes that had she remained in Bakersfield, at the time, she would have lost her life. Adriana has joined Consumer Watchdog’s advocacy team to help in the effort to reform the medical board.
See news coverage on Adriana’s doctor at the links below:
Bakersfield Californian:
23ABC News:
