Tue Oct 7, 8:19 PM ETMIAMI – A man whose doctors left a 16-by-28-inch surgical towel in his abdomen after he underwent surgery for an aortic aneurysm was awarded $455,000 in damages Tuesday.
William Barlow, 62, developed a blood infection and fever after leaving the Veteran’s Administration hospital in December 2000, according to a summary of the case released by the judge. The towel was removed four months later.
The VA conceded fault on the forgotten towel but tried to limit the damage award, citing Barlow’s poor health and obesity. A message left with the government’s attorney was not returned.
U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages, who heard the trial without a jury, decided Barlow’s existing medical problems, including emphysema and diabetes, were aggravated by the infection, the 10-day stay for the towel’s removal and the quick succession of major surgeries.
Barlow also had surgery to remove a cancerous kidney in 2000.
Yahoo! News
