Bowel Perforation During Surgery Can Cause Life-Altering Side Complications

by James Lewis

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JIm is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

You’re probably here because you or a loved one suffered a cut bowel -- an injury also known as a bowel perforation -- during surgery and are considering taking legal action against the surgeon who made the mistake that caused the injury. We are here to help. Our Virginia (VA) personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys have represented numerous clients who have suffered this awful medical malpractice injury and understand how serious the complications from a nicked bowel can be.

A bowel perforation can be life-threatening. When the bowel is torn or cut, its contents spill into the patient's abdomen or abdominal lining (peritoneum). The contents of the bowel are rife with bacteria, so many patients wind up suffering from peritonitis, a severe inflammatory disease triggered by infection.

To get more information about cut bowel injuries and the health risks associated with perforations, take a moment to review these videos and articles:

Video: Virginia Medical Malpractice Lawyer Talks About Laparoscopic Injuries

Learn the Common Symptoms of a Cut Bowel Injury

In-depth Report on Common Surgical Errors

Properly treating a cut bowel requires undergoing repair surgery to stop the continued seepage of bowel contents into the abdomen. Doctors accomplish this by rerouting the portion of the colon that is just above the perforation to the wall of the lower abdomen. This is referred to as a colostomy, which requires a patient to carry a colostomy bag.

Many patients having to wear a colostomy bag suffer emotional trauma and embarrassment, and it is not uncommon to have to wear the bag for 6 to 9 months since the injury must heal before the colon can be reconnected. Even after the colostomy is reversed, many patients do not have their bowel functions and stamina return to normal for several more months.

As mentioned earlier, lawyers with our firm have experience handling cut ureter injury cases. For example, we represented a retired police officer in Newport News, VA. She went to her obstetrician/gynecologist due to abdominal pain. The OB/GYN told our client she needed a hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries.

The doctor performed the procedure laparoscopically, which avoided the need to make a large abdominal incision but also limited the ability to see the operative field. The OB/GYN negligently severed our client's ureter during the operation and did not realize he had done so. As our client got sicker, it was determined that her ureter was injured. Multiple surgical procedures were required to correct the injury, and our client racked up approximately $100,000 in medical bills. Fortunately, she consulted with our Virginia medical malpractice law firm, and we were able to settle her case for $400,000.

To get more information about bowel perforation injuries, take a look at this free consumer report on the top 5 surgical errors, which was written by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Virginia.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have extensive experience handling medical malpractice and doctor mistake cases. Please take a few moments to review our medical malpractice case results. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of a doctor, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Also, Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

Members of our VA personal injury law firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA medical malpractice firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We offer free special reports on the Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and the top five surgical errors you must know about. 

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call.