Botched surgery during C-section led to fine for Fresno hospital. Here’s what happened
Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno was recently fined almost $90,000 for wrongfully removing a Fallopian tube from a patient after a cesarean section birth, according to state records.
The surgeon and surgical staff failed to conduct the proper vetting process, leading to confusion and potentially affecting the 27-year-old mother’s ability to have more children, the California Department of Health said in its filing issued Feb. 14.
The surgical event also left the woman with sleep issues and her husband has suffered mental anguish and emotional distress, the filing said.
The hospital was ordered to pay $86,625, the department said.
“We are deeply committed to patient safety and preventing accidents from happening,” Thomas Utecht, CRMC’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt sympathy to the patient who experienced this and have taken steps to review procedures and implement additional training for staff. Our commitment has been, and always will be, dedication to continuous improvement in patient safety.”
The wrongful procedure without consent
The woman was admitted and underwent the cesarean on Aug. 12, 2020. While under anesthesia she was asked in Spanish by the doctor if she wanted a tubal ligation, commonly known as getting one’s “tubes tied,” the filing says.
The doctor had already cut one Fallopian tube before an assisting nurse was able to stop the doctor, because the mother had not requested to be permanently sterilized nor had she signed paperwork giving that consent.
Patients undergoing such surgeries are required to be informed of the potential effects of a surgery and to sign a consent form beforehand, according to the filing.
That process is necessary “to prevent errors from happening,” the filing notes.
The doctor performing the surgery asked a doctor-in-training if the mother wanted a tubal ligation. The health department’s filing quoted the doctor in training.
“I made a human error and I think I was getting confused with the next patient,” the filing says.
The couple filed a complaint against Community Regional Medical Center. The follow-up investigation involved an interview with the husband.
“They should not be trying to get consent while my wife was under sedation,” he said. ”I am sad and still upset with the doctors for their mistake. We do plan on having more children, but I am worried this may not be possible.”
