Gallbladder surgery malpractice: patient recovers confidential settlement

In a recent medical malpractice case, the patient obtained a settlement against the gallbladder surgeon; the settlement amount is confidential between the parties.  The patient sued the surgeon for negligence during removal of the plaintiff’s gallbladder.
 
The 59-year-old patient went to the surgeon complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting. Testing revealed gallbladder stones and the surgeon recommended a laparoscopic surgery.  The medical records revealed that there was considerable inflammation around the gallbladder during the surgery. As a result, the surgeon made a hole in the gallbladder which allowed the gallstones to escape into the surgical field, and made visualization of the anatomical locations difficult. The patient's attorneys argued that the defendant surgeon misidentified the patient's anatomy during the surgery, and placed two surgical clips on the common bile duct.  These clips made the duct leak bile into her body, and crushed the tissue.