Medical Malpractice – Confidential High Six-Figure Settlement (Surgical Error, Ureter Damage)

At 36, “Tiana” underwent what was expected to be a routine outpatient hysterectomy in Manhattan. She was discharged the same day. Within days, however, she returned to the emergency room with severe flank pain, nausea, and difficulty urinating.

Tests revealed a complete blockage of her right ureter — the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. The injury had occurred during surgery but had gone unrecognized.

Tiana was admitted and placed on a drainage system to protect her kidney. But her ordeal was only beginning. Over the following months, she endured repeated hospitalizations, infections, and ultimately a life-threatening case of urosepsis and endocarditis. Despite undergoing reconstructive surgery, she was left with a ureteral stricture — a narrowing that places her at ongoing risk for infection and permanent kidney damage.

Our review established that this was not an unavoidable complication but the result of a failure to recognize and respond to an intraoperative injury. Had the ureter damage been identified during surgery, it could have been managed with a stent, preventing much of the suffering that followed.

The case resolved confidentially for a high six-figure settlement, providing financial support for Tiana’s ongoing medical care and accountability for the lapses in her treatment.

Names and identifying details have been changed to protect client privacy.