A woman who weighed 278 pounds (19st 12lbs) lost both her legs after she had weight loss surgery.
Mary Beth Ruphard is suing the hospital in Joliet, Illinois, where she had the operation after she had both her legs amputated when she developed blood clots.
She said she went under the knife because she was worried about her health. ‘I just wanted to live longer, live better you know. I had diabetes [and] hypertension as my risk factors.’
Ms Ruphard said that she was not properly monitored or treated when she went back into hospital to have a perforation treated on Thanksgiving, weeks after she underwent the original surgery.
‘I did complain to a nurse,’ she told CBS2. ‘I say, “my legs, they are aching and they are tingling”.’
According to Ms Ruphard’s attorney, medical notes record that her toes were cold and blue and there was later no feeling below her knees, but no immediate action was taken.
He said that it took 36 hours for a surgeon to be called to try to save her legs, by which time it was too late.
‘The doctor that amputated her legs was highly upset and made the statement, “Why was I not called in earlier?”‘ said Laird Ozmon.
Ms Ruphard has accused the hospital of knowing that she had a pre-existing blood clotting condition and not monitoring her properly because it was a holiday.
‘Being able to walk alongside my husband holding his hand or, you know, dancing to our wedding song,’ she said. ‘That’s not going to happen again.’
A statement from Provena St Joseph Medical Center said the surgery carries risks and complications, and that patients are diligently monitored and cared for.
‘While patient privacy laws prevent us from commenting on the specifics of this isolated incident, this patient’s continued recovery remains in our prayers,’ a spokesman told CBS2.
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