A Georgia man is suing an Atlanta hospital after it misplaced a significant portion of his skull following brain surgery. This incident resulted in multiple additional surgeries and over $100,000 in extra medical expenses for the patient and his wife.
Fernando Cluster and his wife, Melinda, filed a lawsuit against Emory University Hospital Midtown after the facility lost a 4.7-by-5.9-inch piece of Fernando’s skull. The fragment was removed during emergency surgery to address a brain hemorrhage, according to a Washington Post report. The Washington Post reports that the plan was to reimplant the bone flap several weeks later, once the post-operative brain swelling had decreased. However, the hospital staff subsequently lost track of the skull fragment.
The Search for the Missing Skull Fragment
The Clusters’ legal complaint states that when hospital staff attempted to retrieve the bone flap, they discovered “several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification.” Consequently, Emory “could not be certain which, if any, of these belonged to Mr. Cluster.”
The Cost of a Lost Skull Fragment
Unable to locate the original bone fragment, the hospital resorted to using synthetic material to repair Fernando’s skull. This necessitated an additional surgery, performed 12 days after the initial procedure, and incurred an additional cost of $19,000 for the synthetic material alone. Furthermore, Fernando developed a post-operative infection, requiring yet another surgery. The couple claims these complications resulting from the lost skull fragment have led to over $146,845 in additional medical expenses.
Seeking Accountability
The Clusters are now seeking compensation for the additional medical costs, pain, and suffering resulting from the hospital’s negligence. The case highlights the importance of proper patient identification and inventory management procedures within healthcare facilities.
Emory University Hospital Midtown has been contacted for comment, and this story will be updated upon receiving a response.
