Woman sues after discovering feeding tube was left inside her body for 35 years
Topics: Health, Mental Health, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: CBS 58
Topics: Health, Mental Health, US News
A woman has opened up about the surgical 'mistake' which allegedly left her with a feeding tube inside her body for nearly 35 years.
On Wednesday (February 5), Deborah Lowe filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai Medical Center - now known as Aurora Sinai Medical Center - in Milwaukee.
In 1989, Lowe was hospitalized at Mount Sinai Medical Center at the age of 25 as a result of experiencing a 'troubled pregnancy' with her twins.
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She delivered her babies via Caesarean section - where a baby or babies are delivered through surgical incisions being made in the abdomen - but suffered complications and later had to undergo a hysterectomy - a surgical procedure to remove the uterus and cervix - before ending up 'having to be put on life support,' Lowe's attorney B'Ivory LaMarr said during a press conference, as quoted by Fox 6 Now.
While Lowe was on life support, a feeding tube was inserted. However, 35 years later, it allegedly remained in her body.
For over three decades, Lowe complained about stomach problems - reporting her stomach 'constantly swelling' - and resultantly finding it 'difficult' to do things such as 'shopping' or 'walk[ing] around in a mall'.
However, it was only in April last year when she was undergoing other surgery that a surgeon discovered a feeding tube had been 'left inside' her.
Lowe is now suing the medical center for medical negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and emotional distress and has spoken out about how the ordeal has impacted her.
She said: ""How could they do this? Who could make this mistake? This is too much, I shouldn’t have to go through this. They took my whole life. I was only 25 years old, and I couldn’t have no more kids, now I'm still going through things. I can't do things I used to do.
"[...] I would want no one to go through this. When you don't know what's going on inside of you. You just try to live day by day."
LaMarr stated: "This is probably the most outrageous alleged negligence that I think I've ever seen before. We believe this is the most egregious example of medical negligence in the state."
Aurora Sinai Medical Center said in a statement: "We have not been legally notified of this lawsuit and cannot comment further."
UNILAD has contacted Aurora Sinai Medical Center for comment.