Colonoscopy gone bad

hospital | 10/13/02 | self

[Cobra64]

Man almost bled to death as a result of a colonoscopy.

[Conservababe]

Well, so much for tort reform from conservatives, considering the comments on this thread.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

So you are willing to let the attorney have 35% to 70% of your award. Find one that works on a paid fee basis. You keep the money. But you will probably not be able to find one that is not out for himself.

I've never heard of a contingency of more than 40%...If you pay a flat fee, what is the incentive for the lawyer to get all he can for you? If he's in on the cut he has a real incentive to get the client as much as possible. Make sense?

[Ditter]

My husband had a colonoscopy several years ago. He started hemmoraging 2 or 3 days after & passed out. I called an ambulance & he spent a few hours in the ER & then the night in the hospital. The next morning they went back in & cauterized the spot where the polop had been cut. He was fine & when home the same afternoon.

He had made the mistake of taking an asprin & that started the bleeding. He didn't need a tranfusion & it was not really the emergency we thought it was (Than God). I have had a colonoscopy, they found nothing & I had no problems.

It is a very important test especially if you have had people in your family who have had colon cancer. I have & I used the past tense because they are all dead. I will continue to be tested when ever the Dr. thinks I need it.

I am sorry you had such a horrible experience that left you so traumatized.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

When I had my first c-scopy 5 years ago, I had to drink the 2-gallon jug of stuff. Now they've got it down to just a couple of glasses with Fleet Phospho.

Not fun, but not horrendous. Worthwhile to put up with it every few years to be entirely sure of avoiding colon cancer.

By the way, unless I've missed something, I haven't seen one reference on this thread to Katie Couric. People are slipping!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

but I now encourage anyone with a decent case to push the losers of the medical field into jobs where they can't maim

This is another good argument for lawsuits.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Tort reform doesn't mean that doctors shouldn't be sued for legitimate malpractice, does it?

[snippy_about_it]

There is a new alternative. Scan first.

http://www.colonscandirectory.com/

[Ditter]

I asked my Dr. about the "viritual" colonoscopy too. He pointed out that the worst part of a colonoscopy is the pre test prep. The diet & the stuff you have to drink to clean out your bowel. You have to do it for the "viritual" & then if they decided they have to remove something, you have to prep again. Apparently, they don't just take you right in & remove it then. That & the fact that they miss 10% of polops, decided for me.

[Crawdad]

A good plaintiff's attorney always asks two questions of prospective clients: 1) Are/were you hurt? and 2) Do you need money?

[woofie]

Ive got one scheduled in November ..I'll let you know if I bleed to death.....

[woofie]

By the way, unless I've missed something, I haven't seen one reference on this thread to Katie Couric. People are slipping!

Katie Colon ...er Couric....(better late than never)

[areafiftyone]

Well that depends on if you can afford one. For people who don't have the money for one - it can be a drain on their life savings if they don't win. That's all I was thinking of. I sued the police department once and my attorney got 30% but I received an pretty good sum myself so sometimes it can amount to a good sum and no lawyers fees afterwards.

[Howie]

"By the way the number 1 reason for malpractice suits against doctors is not poor quality of medicine but poor communication skills towards the patient. Usually you just want to know "WHY?" and a suit is your only avenue... Really bad doctors usually bury their mistakes........."

I can believe that! I had neck surgery almost 2 years ago and have more pain than I started with.

I knew there were risks and might not get any relief but it actually is getting worse.

I have been complaining to the surgeon and my GP and they send me for x-rays, physical therapy etc.

Two weeks ago I found out by accident that the plate they installed to hold the vertabra together is too long and the lower screws are drilled into the DISC instead of the bone. I can't get anyone to tell me if this is bad, not important or sure to cause me to start looking like Cristopher Reeve.

I finally got an appointment with the surgeon (a month from now). I expect another cycle of BS instead of just leveling with me. I feel like I have a hand grenade in my spine, but maybe not, who the hell knows!

[Nov3]

Speaking from the point of view of having been blinded by a doctor who let a BRAND NEW (I was the second patient)tech assemble the microkeratome incorrectly, then did not inspect it, and used the obviously misassembled tool while looking through the surgical microscope rupturing my eye and leaving me legally blind in my left eye, sue the hell out of them.

Also go the the FDAs website and check the accident reports on the tool. Here is the link to search for accident reports on your tool. The manufacturer of mine had hidden the accidents involving the Innovatome Microkeratome from everyone including the people they sent out to TRAIN THE DOCTORS! There were 10+ other accidents (6 "accidents" prior to mine) that they hid from the FDA. They hid mine for 7 months until it became obvious the FDA was going to find out about it. I found out there are people willing to let people get blinded to protect their job. You always think people have a conscious like you, not so!

Here is what happened to me according to the medical manufacturer! I love the part where the patient is doing well!

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New Search

MAUDE Database

BRAND NAME	INNOVATOME
TYPE OF DEVICE	MICROKERATOME
BASELINE BRAND NAME	INNOVATOME
BASELINE GENERIC NAME	MICROKERATOME
BASELINE CATALOGUE NUMBER	900-9002
BASELINE MODEL NUMBER	900-9002
OTHER BASELINE ID NUMBER	NONE
BASELINE DEVICE FAMILY	MICROKERATOME
BASELINE DEVICE 510(K) NUMBER	K973294
IS BASELINE PMA NUMBER PROVIDED?	NO
BASELINE PREAMENDMENT?	NO
TRANSITIONAL?	NO
510(K) EXEMPT?	NO
SHELF LIFE(Months)	NA
DATE FIRST MARKETED	07/20/1998
MANUFACTURER (Section F)	INNOVATIVE OPTICS, INC. 6808 ACADEMY PKWY, NE BLDG. A, SUITE ONE ALBUQUERQUE NM 87109
MANUFACTURER (Section D)	INNOVATIVE OPTICS, INC. 6808 ACADEMY PKWY, NE BLDG. A, SUITE ONE ALBUQUERQUE NM 87109
MANUFACTURER CONTACT	DAVE DAVIS 6808 E. ACADEMY PKWY, NE BLDG. A, SUITE ONE ALBUQUERQUE , NM 87109 (505) 341 -2577
DEVICE EVENT KEY	258488
MDR REPORT KEY	267016
EVENT KEY	250285
REPORT NUMBER	1724318-2000-00003
DEVICE SEQUENCE NUMBER	1
PRODUCT CODE	HNO
REPORT SOURCE	MANUFACTURER
SOURCE TYPE	COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE
REMEDIAL ACTION	OTHER
EVENT TYPE	INJURY
TYPE OF REPORT

INITIAL,FOLLOWUP

REPORT DATE

02/23/2000

1 DEVICE WAS INVOLVED IN THE EVENT

1 PATIENT WAS INVOLVED IN THE EVENT

DATE FDA RECEIVED

02/23/2000

IS THIS AN ADVERSE EVENT REPORT?

YES

IS THIS A PRODUCT PROBLEM REPORT?

NO

DEVICE OPERATOR

HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

DEVICE MODEL NUMBER

500-0012-2

WAS DEVICE AVAILABLE FOR EVALUATION?

NO

IS THE REPORTER A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL?

YES

WAS THE REPORT SENT TO FDA?

YES

DATE REPORT TO FDA

02/23/2000

DISTRIBUTOR FACILITY AWARE DATE

05/18/1999

DEVICE AGE

1 YR

EVENT LOCATION

OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FACILITY

DATE REPORT TO MANUFACTURER

02/23/2000

DATE MANUFACTURER RECEIVED

02/23/2000

WAS DEVICE EVALUATED BY MANUFACTURER?

NO

DATE DEVICE MANUFACTURED

02/01/1999

IS THE DEVICE SINGLE USE?

NO ANSWER PROVIDED

TYPE OF DEVICE USAGE

REUSE

PATIENT OUTCOME

REQUIRED INTERVENTION 

ADVERSE EVENT OR PRODUCT PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

REPORT DATE: 02/23/2000  MDR TEXT KEY: 908271 Patient Sequence Number: 1

SURGEON REPORTED TO CO'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR THAT THE APPLANUTOR HAD BEEN PUT ON THE SAPPHIRE UPSIDE DOWN. THE FLAP WAS SO THICK IT HAD TO BE HELD BACK. LASIK WAS PERFORMED WHILE HOLDING THE FLAP BACK. THERE WAS A PERFORATION WHICH CAUSED LEAKAGE. PATIENT HAD MINIMAL VISION AT POST-OP. PATIENT WAS DOING WELL AS OF 7/11/99.

MANUFACTURER DEVICE EVALUATION SUMMARY

REPORT DATE: 02/23/2000  MDR TEXT KEY: 908277 

NA SEE ATTACHED

ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURER NARRATIVE

REPORT DATE: 02/23/2000  MDR TEXT KEY: 908278 

SURGEON REPORTED TO CO'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR THAT THE APPLANATOR WAS PUT ON UPSIDE DOWN. THE FLAP WAS SO THICK IT HAD TO BE HELD BACK. LASIK WAS PERFORMED ON PT WHILE HOLDING THE FLAP BACK. THERE WAS A PERFORATION WHICH CAUSED LEAKAGE. PT SUTURED. AT POST-OP, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT EDEMA AND THE PT HAD MINIMAL VISION AT THE TIME. PT WAS DOING WELL AT 7/11/99. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FIRST REFERENCED EVENT HAS BEEN FILED BEYOND THE REQUESTED TIME FRAME. THE SECOND FILING IS WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME FRAME. THE REASON FOR THIS LATE REPORT IS AS FOLLOWS: UPON CO'S INITIAL REVIEW OF THE FIRST EVENT, CO DETERMINED THAT, BECAUSE CO'S MICROKERATOME SYSTEM DID NOT "CAUSE" THE PERFORATION DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT, CO DID NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO FILE. THE EXCIMER LASER WAS THE DEVICE THAT CAUSED THE PERFORATION OF THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER DUE TO THE THINNESS OF THE REMAINING CORNEA. BOTH CASES CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF CO'S DEVICE BY THE TECHNICIAN LEADING TO DEEPER THAN NORMAL CUTS INTO THE CORNEA. IN ANY OTHER INCIDENT OF THIS NATURE, PROCEDURE WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE CORNEAL FLAP WITHOUT PROCEEDING WITH USE OF THE EXCIMER. THIS DID NOT OCCUR IN EITHER INCIDENT. CO HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF FDA GUIDELINES. UPON REVIEW OF THE FIRST EVENT, CO DETERMINED A "CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR" IN SUCH AN INCIDENT MUST BE CONSIDERED DESPITE THE OPERATOR ERROR ASPECT, AND AS SUCH SHOULD BE REPORTED. NO H3 REFERENCE IS GIVEN AS DEVICE EVALUATION WAS NOT DEEMED NECESSARY.

Database contains data received through June 27, 2002

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[Wonder Warthog]

Smartass.

[lsee]

Should the doctor be held accountable?

This kind of excessive bleeding is NOT normal after a colonscopy...but complications can happen. Sometimes these complications are from injury by the doctor, other times they are not anyone's fault. If you had polyps, they can bleed profusely. If you have diverticulitis or ulcerative colitis or any of a number of other conditions, your bowel can bleed after a procedure that would not similarly affect another person. Gastrointestinal net

I'd do some searching on the web and find support groups and message boards dealing with this subject and find a GOOD referral from someone who has been where you are.

[SarahW]

It's "Diarrhea" :). Think "hemorrhage."

Did you require transfusion?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks. This thread is now official.

[Trust but Verify]

I've only had one. I'm 42 but my father died from colon cancer, so I have to be careful. Only had two tiny polyps. Gotta go back in 5 years.

I had the Fleet Phospho prep and it was deathly for me. I was so dehydrated I had the worst headache of my life and it took them 5 tries to get an IV going. I'm not looking forward to the next one.

[SarahW]

DId he inform you of the risks of bleeding (one of the main complications of colonoscopy)? Were you on any blood-thinning meds...and were you told to discontinue them before the procedure?

Bleeding after polyp removal is one of the main complications of conlonoscopy. Were you discharged without instructions on what to do if this complication occurred?