A man underwent an elective procedure to remove a cataract in his left eye. Within twenty-four hours of surgery, the man’s left eye showed signs of infection. The doctor who performed the procedure diagnosed the man with endophthalmitis. The doctor did not refer the man to a retinologist for treatment. Within forty-eight hours of surgery, the man was permanently blind in his left eye. Click title to continue reading...
A 67-year-old woman underwent a carotid endarterectomy (CEA), a procedure to remove build up from the carotid artery walls. The morning of the surgery the woman received a cervical block and the procedure began at 7:44 a.m. At 8:00 a.m., the woman’s blood pressure was recorded at 200/98, and the vascular surgeon clamped her carotid artery at 8:08 a.m. At 9:05 a.m., the woman received blood pressure medication, which lowered her blood pressure to 180/112, but it rose again to 190/80 by 9:45 a.m. During the CEA, the vascular surgeon determined that the woman’s artery blockage was more extensive than expected, and requested that the woman be fully anesthetized for the remainder of the surgery. Click title to continue reading...
A man sustained a comminuted tibial plateau fracture while playing basketball. A comminuted fracture occurs when the bone is broken into more than two fragments. A tibial plateau fracture occurs at the top of the shin bone, and involves the cartilage surface of the knee joint. At approximately 10 p.m. that evening, he was taken to the emergency room (ER), where he was treated and released. The man returned at approximately 7:30 a.m. the following morning complaining of severe pain in his left leg. An orthopedic surgeon admitted the man to the hospital for observation. Click title to continue reading...