A Maine woman, Emily Mitchell, has been awarded $17 million after a catastrophic surgical error resulted in the removal of her bladder during a procedure intended to address a benign ovarian cyst.

Medical Malpractice Trial

The damages were awarded to Mitchell last Thursday by a Kennebec County jury following a two-week medical malpractice trial against Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health, according to her attorneys.

The devastating procedure occurred on March 1, 2023, and resulted in what Mitchell’s attorneys described as an irreversible injury with extreme health repercussions that are still ongoing.

According to evidence presented at trial, what began as a routine gynecologic surgery resulted in one of the most devastating surgical errors imaginable, said Berman & Simmons in a statement.

Following the procedure, Mitchell’s condition worsened, and she was transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery. Surgeons later discovered that her bladder had been removed during the original operation, and pathology confirmed the tissue taken during the procedure was full-thickness bladder tissue.

The damage appeared irreversible, as surgeons determined there was insufficient healthy bladder tissue remaining to reconstruct or repair the organ. For the next eight months, Mitchell relied on bilateral nephrostomy tubes to drain urine directly from her kidneys.

She was eventually referred to Massachusetts for complex reconstructive surgery, where surgeons used a portion of her small intestine to create a new bladder, known as a neobladder. Mitchell’s attorneys said she continues to live with the permanent effects of those injuries nearly three years after the original operation.

Verdict and Aftermath

After hearing the evidence, the jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health liable and awarded Mitchell damages covering past and future medical expenses, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and permanent impairment.

For our clients, this isn’t just a legal victory—it’s the closure they’ve needed for a long time, said attorney Susan A. Faunce in a statement. They can finally begin to move forward, knowing that what happened to them was seen, heard, and acknowledged.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.