Short of causing death by surgery, next on the list of the “worst things” a doctor can do to a patient might rate “severely altering a patients quality of life” and “stealing the dreams” a person or family had for their life and their plans for retirement years. This is what happened to Linda Guile of Washington State when she submitted to surgery for a back injury in 1999.

The injury came as the result of a fall suffered in her beloved flower garden in 1997. After living with considerable and finally intolerable pain for a period of about 18 months, she was examined by Dr. Britt Borden who operated out of the Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA. He convinced her that a fusion of her lower back in a 3-hour operation would handle her condition.

At the appointed time of her operation, Dr. Borden was running 2 hours late as the first surgery of his day had lasted 5 hours. Linda’s surgery ran equally long. 5 hours into Linda’s surgery, Linda’s husband Bob was likely extremely concerned and pacing madly.

What took so long? Surgical negligence, that’s what. When Dr. Borden emerged and talked with Linda’s husband, the information provided was that a drill had “slipped” and “nicked” the Dura, the tough covering of the spinal column. Dr. Borden said he stitched it up, that Linda would be fine and then hurried off to his final operation and to a Hawaiian vacation the next day.

In the days that ensued, Linda suffered more and more pain. Finally a second doctor opened the incision to find that the Dura had been much more than “nicked.” There was a three-quarter inch tear and nerves that were sticking up like “spaghetti.” Actually, the nerves that control bladder and bowel function were damaged beyond repair.

An out of court settlement was reached with the Medical Center and the doctor. However, this aside, Linda and Bob’s lives have been changed forever. Linda must self-catheterize every two or three hours to urinate and is on a program for enemas every two days. Plus, she suffers numbness in her left foot, leg and buttocks.

Life-style wise, she and Bob will both need to continue working long after they planned to retire to keep insurance in place. The home they had wanted to retire into required selling as it was a two-story and Linda can’t walk stairs without difficulty.

Dr. Borden, it was learned had lawsuits in his past in Virginia before moving to Washington. He has since moved on to South Dakota where he again damaged patients and faced lawsuits. It was also learned that historically his operating skills were way below the expected in performing these types of neurological surgery.

The Guiles are currently very involved in supporting a Washington State Initiative to improved patient conditions, rights and the monitoring of medical malpractice with citizens boards. They are opposing a counter-initiative by doctors and insurance companies aimed at limiting patient’s ability to sue and placing a cap on the dollar amount for which a doctor or institution can be held liable.

SOURCE: http://www.http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2040