Medical Malpractice Question and Answer: Thumb Partially Amputated

Question: I had surgery in 2007 on my thumb which was partially amputated. In 2008 I was told by my medical doctor that my thumb was infected because of sutures not fully removed. As of April 30, 2009, I had to go back to ER for another suture was discovered. Do I have a case on this matter?

Answer: Is it medical malpractice to fail to completely remove sutures? It might be. It also may be an accepted risk of the procedure you underwent. However, in either event, it is highly unlikely that the amount of compensable damages would make filing a "case" worth your while. If as a result of the infection arising from the suture's incomplete removal, you are required to have the thumb, your hand, or your arm amputated, then the chances would be better for your legal action to prove viable.

Answer provided by:
Jason A. Richman, Esq., Attorney at Law
402 Bloomfield Gardens
Bloomfield, NY 14469
Via lawguru.com

For Your Information

A suture is a medical device that doctors, embalmers, and surgeons use to hold skin, internal organs, blood vessels and all other tissues of the human body together after they have been severed by injury, incision or surgery. They must be strong so that they do not break, non-toxic, hypoallergenic (to avoid adverse reactions in the body), and flexible (so they can be tied and knotted easily). In addition, they must lack the so called "wick effect", which means that sutures must not allow fluids to penetrate the body through them from outside, which could easily cause infections.

Surgical suture on a needle holder. Packaging shown above.

Source: Wikipedia