Crna “independent” practice massive lawsuit judgment in Conn

[aneftp]

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https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=20501640

This case looks like Dr. Parker was the colorectal general surgeon. Three CRNA were involved in case doing independent practice while Parker supervising physician for them in the case

I do not see anesthesiologists being named. But the main anesthesia practice got hit.

$20 million verdict delivered in medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown, Middlesex Hospital

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — A $20 million verdict was delivered Thursday in a medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown and Middlesex Hospital, according to a press release. The jury ruled that the anesthesiologists were responsible for the preventable death of 68-year-old...

www.yahoo.com

Really poor reporting saying the patient was healthy when he wasn’t healthy.

Regardless. Not giving blood when hg in the low 7 and bleeding is bad.

 

[CopaceticOne]

This is the reason businesses have liability policies.

 

[aneftp]

This is the reason businesses have liability policies.

Looking up the practice. It’s 16 MD and 19 crnas

The business takes the hit. I don’t know the policy limits maybe 5 million? Who knows.

This is the second big conn malpractice case in the last 18 months for anesthesia lawsuit.

Why would the individual private anesthesia practice run this model?
I can’t find any research on if the surgeon was hospital employed. He looks like a member of the Middlesex “alliance”. From the website. It’s likely a subdivision of the hospital. So the hospital really employed him? So settled. And let anesthesia out to dry

 

[CopaceticOne]

Looking up the practice. It’s 16 MD and 19 crnas

The business takes the hit. I don’t know the policy limits maybe 5 million? Who knows.

This is the second big conn malpractice case in the last 18 months for anesthesia lawsuit.

Why would the individual private anesthesia practice run this model?
I can’t find any research on if the surgeon was hospital employed. He looks like a member of the Middlesex “alliance”. From the website. It’s likely a subdivision of the hospital. So the hospital really employed him? So settled. And let anesthesia out to dry

Did you also see they promote their SRNA involvement? So to answer your question as to why… $$$.

 

[aneftp]

Did you also see they promote their SRNA involvement? So to answer your question as to why… $$$.

It’s always about the money. Just seems to be a lot of sites they cover on their website for only 16 docs? And 19 crnas

Anesthesiologists of Middletown – PROFESSIONAL – CARING – EXPERIENCED

aom-pc.com

 

[kidthor]

The story is a bit misleading on several fronts - including calling it a "routine" surgery on a "healthy, active man". The guy was a sick EtOH abusing cirrhotic from the records and needed an urgent/emergent surgery. From the record it seems like the CRNA was woefully unprepared on many fronts, and it does seem that they didn't give blood in the OR which is unforgivable (though confusing whether they did or didn't give any). Whatever the case the CRNA was way out of their league here. As soon as they opened they should have had blood in the room and everything should have been planned for (A Line, pressors, etc) based on this being a high risk case for a high risk patient.

This is yet another case where physician-level experience and training is essential for what people think is a "routine" surgery.

 

[Agast]

https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=20501640

This case looks like Dr. Parker was the colorectal general surgeon. Three CRNA were involved in case doing independent practice while Parker supervising physician for them in the case

I do not see anesthesiologists being named. But the main anesthesia practice got hit.

$20 million verdict delivered in medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown, Middlesex Hospital

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — A $20 million verdict was delivered Thursday in a medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown and Middlesex Hospital, according to a press release. The jury ruled that the anesthesiologists were responsible for the preventable death of 68-year-old...

www.yahoo.com

Really poor reporting saying the patient was healthy when he wasn’t healthy.

Regardless. Not giving blood when hg in the low 7 and bleeding is bad.

I thought the summary said he received 6 units PRBCs and FFP before arriving at the ICU?

 

[deleted87051]

The story is a bit misleading on several fronts - including calling it a "routine" surgery on a "healthy, active man". The guy was a sick EtOH abusing cirrhotic from the records and needed an urgent/emergent surgery. From the record it seems like the CRNA was woefully unprepared on many fronts, and it does seem that they didn't give blood in the OR which is unforgivable (though confusing whether they did or didn't give any). Whatever the case the CRNA was way out of their league here. As soon as they opened they should have had blood in the room and everything should have been planned for (A Line, pressors, etc) based on this being a high risk case for a high risk patient.

This is yet another case where physician-level experience and training is essential for what people think is a "routine" surgery.

Agree with above except it was elective surgery which was performed a month after initial consultation for “defecatory issues” possibly related to a stricture. Questionable surgical indication for a high risk patient. It’s not like the guy had cancer.

The guy was a solid ASA4 though so I wonder how the case assignment was made.

 

[deleted87051]

https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=20501640

This case looks like Dr. Parker was the colorectal general surgeon. Three CRNA were involved in case doing independent practice while Parker supervising physician for them in the case

I do not see anesthesiologists being named. But the main anesthesia practice got hit.

$20 million verdict delivered in medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown, Middlesex Hospital

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — A $20 million verdict was delivered Thursday in a medical negligence case against Anesthesiologists of Middletown and Middlesex Hospital, according to a press release. The jury ruled that the anesthesiologists were responsible for the preventable death of 68-year-old...

www.yahoo.com

Really poor reporting saying the patient was healthy when he wasn’t healthy.

Regardless. Not giving blood when hg in the low 7 and bleeding is bad.

Interesting that the CRNA expert runs a ketamine/pain clinic.

 

[deleted87051]

It’s always about the money. Just seems to be a lot of sites they cover on their website for only 16 docs? And 19 crnas

Anesthesiologists of Middletown – PROFESSIONAL – CARING – EXPERIENCED

aom-pc.com

Website implies care team model. Strange no anesthesiologist was named in the lawsuit.

 

[deleted87051]

Did you also see they promote their SRNA involvement? So to answer your question as to why… $$$.

To be fair they also offer a medical student rotation.

 

[aneftp]

This case has so many wrong doings. But I feel it should be 90/10% or 80/20% in terms of surgeon liability and anesthesia. And anesthesia gets thrown under the bus.

The guy had a perforation in 2014 from diverticulitis.

So he was having issues and surgeon wanted to operate to essentially clean him up in 2019.

We as anesthesia even in pat clinic cannot make the determination to tell the surgeon they shouldn’t do the case. All we can say is if the patient is optimized or not. And I’m sure he was optimized before surgery. Doesn’t make him the best surgery candidate due to nature of adhesions and alcoholic history with egd banding as recently as one year before.

So it’s looks like the surgeon settled or hospital settled with him beforehand.

The expert letter on behalf of another surgeon reviewing the case bares way more weights towards the surgeon liability than the crna “expert” witness who does ketamine clinic.

I’m just shocked why the jury thinks 20 million towards anesthesia. If surgeon and hospital settled for say 3 million. Than anesthesia is on the hook for 600k.

And that’s why I have so much distrust in the jury system. It’s expensive but I’d rather have a 5-7 panel judge system and it more than 80% of them think im criminaly or civilly wrong like in Italy. I’d live with that.

 

[cytocide]

20 million seems fair for a strapping, 70-years young man with an experienced liver and quaint health status. Think of all those years of future income - very fair.

 

[aneftp]

20 million seems fair for a strapping, 70-years young man with an experienced liver and quaint health status. Think of all those years of future income - very fair.

Jury of your peers is the most misleading legal term

It’s a jury of whoever the defendant or plaintiff attorneys can best pick to favor their outcome.

Why can’t we just have a blind lottery pick of only college educated professions in our malpractice practice cases.

 

[Account1]

20 million seems fair for a strapping, 70-years young man with an experienced liver and quaint health status. Think of all those years of future income - very fair.

Reasons 1-20 million why you don’t practice in Connecticut to begin with

 

[aneftp]

Reasons 1-20 million why you don’t practice in Connecticut to begin with

This was the 2024 malpractice case (2017 event). We posted the case last year on sdn also
Gi endo death also in the same Connecticut case

57 yo woman
This was medical direction case and crna didn’t call the doc soon enough because the doc was in another building /floor (this is why we must be careful doing medical supervision in different floors and buildings ). There are many anesthesia practices guilty of this type of model.

The anesthesia doc died in 2021 so couldn’t defends himself

$15.4M Connecticut Medical Malpractice Verdict For Botched Anesthesia Leading To Death - Medical Malpractice Lawyers

A 57-year-old woman who went in for a routine, 15-minute endoscopy procedure ended up suffering cardiorespiratory collapse at the end...

medicalmalpracticelawyers.com

 

[Lab Lover]

Ironic. The blood sucking ambulance chasing malpractice attorney is our current best defense against AANA goals.

 

[Teillard]

Jury of your peers is the most misleading legal term

It’s a jury of whoever the defendant or plaintiff attorneys can best pick to favor their outcome.

Why can’t we just have a blind lottery pick of only college educated professions in our malpractice practice cases.

That's not even safe anymore...if the loan forgiveness campaigns are any indicator...

 

[IlDestriero]

That's not even safe anymore...if the loan forgiveness campaigns are any indicator...

I’m going to get the midlevel college professor thing going!
TA’s are equivalent!
Brain of a Professor, heart of a student!
Who’s with me?!

 

[deleted87051]

This was the 2024 malpractice case (2017 event). We posted the case last year on sdn also
Gi endo death also in the same Connecticut case

57 yo woman
This was medical direction case and crna didn’t call the doc soon enough because the doc was in another building /floor (this is why we must be careful doing medical supervision in different floors and buildings ). There are many anesthesia practices guilty of this type of model.

The anesthesia doc died in 2021 so couldn’t defends himself

$15.4M Connecticut Medical Malpractice Verdict For Botched Anesthesia Leading To Death - Medical Malpractice Lawyers

A 57-year-old woman who went in for a routine, 15-minute endoscopy procedure ended up suffering cardiorespiratory collapse at the end...

medicalmalpracticelawyers.com

This case was also linked to the article in the initial post.

https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/fairfield/22-8-million-medical-malpractice-verdict-reached-for-connecticut-woman-who-died-after-birth/

Connecticut juries seem very generous.

 

[NPJR]

I'm surprised there was not at least a (Dr. Anesthesiologist MD) paged and is aware (of all the shenanigans) going on in the chart somewhere. Really odd that they left the Anesthesiologist out of it. Even more odd that this was not a medically directed case- in a non- opt out state.

 

[aneftp]

I'm surprised there was not at least a (Dr. Anesthesiologist MD) paged and is aware (of all the shenanigans) going on in the chart somewhere. Really odd that they left the Anesthesiologist out of it. Even more odd that this was not a medically directed case- in a non- opt out state.

I can’t Google the surgeon either All it say is the hospital settled.

Not saying the end result. But some reasonable appeals courts can easily assign blame in this case surgeon hospital and anesthesia

 

[aneftp]

My general surgeon friend who’s also the whipple guy in Florida. I sent him the pdf lawsuit

“The problem with that patient was that he had a prior sigmoid resection, which makes a repeat left colon resection, extremely difficult. He also was not obstructed, just had a stricture. So, for all intents and purposes this was elective. He obviously had bad cirrhosis and portal, hypertension, And that made everything worse. I think he became coagulopathic during surgery, which was the kiss of death. I don’t even like to take gallbladders out on cirrhotic patients. If I had seen this patient, I would have offered him to go to a good gastroenterologist to have a colonoscopy and dilation of the stricture”

That was his take. So it really should be the surgeon’s fault and not anesthesia.

 

[deleted87051]

I’m going to get the midlevel college professor thing going!
TA’s are equivalent!
Brain of a Professor, heart of a student!
Who’s with me?!

I’ve had more than a few adjuncts and TA’s who were better teachers than big name professors.

 

[NPJR]

I’ve had more than a few adjuncts and TA’s who were better teachers than big name professors.

TAs and adjuncts are more than qualified to teach undergrads. Big name professors are there to obtain grants which funds many of the university functions which makes them more valuable.

 

[deleted87051]

CRNA expert testimony suggests there was an attending anesthesiologist. I wonder how much they participated in the case. Perhaps they settled before the case went to trial.

 

[aneftp]

CRNA expert testimony suggests there was an attending anesthesiologist. I wonder how much they participated in the case. Perhaps they settled before the case went to trial.



View attachment 406566

I think they settled the case along with the general surgeon. Once you are settled they remove you from the claims

 

[NPJR]

I think they settled the case along with the general surgeon. Once you are settled they remove you from the claims

Why would the group settle for the Anesthesiologist and not for the C.R.N.A.?

 

[Lab Lover]

Why would the group settle for the Anesthesiologist and not for the C.R.N.A.?

The CRNAs might have a separate liability carrier, The CRNAs might be employed by a different entity, i.e., the hospital while the docs might be private, individual consent to settle option, i.e., the CRNA might have been able to argue that "I am only a nurse the surgeon and anesthesiologist were supervising or in control."

 

[cytocide]

The complaint only lists 3 CRNAs, the hospital, and the group. Maybe the anesthesiologist never signed the chart because they knew the lawyers are super smart. and only go after every name in the chart. Very smart.

 

[ambiturner]

CRNA expert testimony suggests there was an attending anesthesiologist. I wonder how much they participated in the case. Perhaps they settled before the case went to trial.



View attachment 406566

That makes it sound like the anesthesiologist was never called or notified that things weren’t going well. Nor was anyone else called for help either.

Everywhere I’ve worked required me to sign off on ASA status, preop etc before the case starts but I’ve never done QZ. In that setting can you not see the patients and potentially never be involved, even though you’re technically the anesthesiologist?

 

[deleted87051]

That makes it sound like the anesthesiologist was never called or notified that things weren’t going well. Nor was anyone else called for help either.

Everywhere I’ve worked required me to sign off on ASA status, preop etc before the case starts but I’ve never done QZ. In that setting can you not see the patients and potentially never be involved, even though you’re technically the anesthesiologist?

Case was 6 1/2 hrs so one would think the anesthesiologist would check in occasionally. But I don’t know how QZ works either.

 

[caligas]

“This verdict is not just about my dad — it’s about every patient who walks into a hospital and expects to come out safe,” Heather Rueda, the plaintiff and Wilson’s daughter, said. “My father was a healthy, active man who trusted the people caring for him. That trust was broken in the worst way imaginable. No family should ever have to go through this.”

 

[GassYous]

“This verdict is not just about my dad — it’s about every patient who walks into a hospital and expects to come out safe,” Heather Rueda, the plaintiff and Wilson’s daughter, said. “My father was a healthy, active man who trusted the people caring for him. That trust was broken in the worst way imaginable. No family should ever have to go through this.”

He doesn't sound very healthy to me

 

[Lab Lover]

He doesn't sound very healthy to me

If he wasn’t healthy she would be less of a victim.

 

[NPJR]

That trust was broken in the worst way imaginable. No family should ever have to go through this.”

This statement tells you it was probably a surgeon directed-CRNA team otherwise there is NO way the judgement would be this high. And where exactly was trust broken? Bad S*** happens during surgery, especially on decompensated cirrhotics. Bad S*** especially happens when you dont know the 1st thing about resuscitation.