A Georgia woman is filing a medical malpractice, wrongful-death lawsuit claiming that doctors’ negligent care led directly to her husband’s death.
Byung “Ben” Oh went to WellStar’s Atlanta Medical Center after he fell off a ladder, fracturing a vertebra in his back, according to an Aug. 4 news release. After his May 4 surgery, Oh’s doctors decided to place a supra-pubic catheter in his bladder for suspected urinary retention. During the procedure, an interventional radiologist missed the bladder and placed it in Oh’s abdomen. This caused “enormous" amounts of chyle fluid to drain, leading to organ failure, sepsis and eventually death on July 21.
Myung J. Oh has retained counsel, alleging that providers did not administer her husband’s prescribed heart medication—although he had well-documented problems—leaving him with an irregular heartbeat and more susceptible to infection. The suit also charges that the IR physician did nothing to confirm the proper placement of the catheter, such as ordering necessary imaging.
“The negligence in this case is shocking,” said Oh’s lead attorney, Lloyd Bell. “Mr. Oh’s death was completely avoidable if only his care providers paid attention and used some critical thinking. They let this gentleman die a slow and painful death because no one questioned what this large quantity of white fluid was leaking out of Mr. Oh’s abdomen. Mr. Oh was a vibrant, active senior, an Army veteran, who loved to travel with his wife and daughters, enjoyed gardening and doing home renovation projects around the house. He died a slow, painful and utterly unnecessary death,” Bell added.
Myung J. Oh is seeking compensatory damages, including compensation for medical costs, physical, economic and emotional injuries.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.