How Would You Proceed? Advice Please Long

[dis4less]

I am a regular but changed name for this post and am needing advice please. I have everyone pulling me in different directions. This is kind of long so please bear with me. I have been seeing a dermatologist and was having some black spots, not moles just spots that look like ticks, removed. One of them came back abnormal and I had to have surgery to remove everything around it. It is on my thigh and will leave an ugly scar, but so much better than the alternative. Anyway, I had stitches and had to go back and have them removed after 2 weeks. I was in the office and this nurse was removing them. I was fine, talking with her etc the whole time. As she finished she said she was going out to get the head nurse to make sure it was healing ok. She went to the door and that was the last thing I remember. Somehow I passed out cold and woke up on the floor with everyone, doctors nurses etc, standing over me all in a panic. They were saying you are hurt bad, you have to have stitches, and go to the hospital. Well sure enough I split my eyelid in half, huge gash, my whole right side of my face is black and blue, I can not see anything out of that eye it is swollen shut. I had a concussion and huge knot on my head. I also bruised my arm and cut up my knee really bad. They stitched me up at the clinic and called an ambulance for me. I had tests and they all came back ok. I have never had a black out spell before this or anything. I still have to see my regular care doctor to test more, because I do not think you pass out for no reason. I have to go back to the clinic and have my stitches out this week. It is too early to tell what kind of scar or damage if any to my eye or head I will have. I have some friends and family members telling me to contact an attorney that the office was negligent since I was in their care when falling and blacking out. My husband and a few other friends think like me, only contact an attorney if this leaves perm. damage or if I am left with any medical bills, they should pay since it happened on their watch so to speak. I have already had to shell out a co-pay for the ambulance and hospital. I have more spots I have to have cut out and of course these stitches out from this clinic. I really love my doctor, but would you even go back there after this? Would you contact an attorney on this? If it were you, how would you proceed? I am terrified I will black out again or this will leave lasting damage. Please give me your advice/suggestions/or of you are in the legal field, is this even a case? Thanks in advance for your advice. I really appreciate it, I am in such a state right now. Sorry if I was in anyway rambling, I am still on pain medication right now.

 

[MariDisney]

I am so sorry that you are having medical difficulties. I can imagine you are really stressed out. I no nothing about anything legal. But, I can't imagine how the doctor bears any responsibility for you passing out unless it was caused by some medication or something you were given. If you'd had a heart attack or a stroke or something there it wouldn't be their fault. This seems like the same thing to me.

I do hope they are able to get to the bottom of your problem quickly and that you don't have any more incidents like that.

Editing to add: I'd have no problem going back to that office. It doesn't seem to me like your being in that specfic place has anything to do with what happened.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I am so sorry this happened to you.

You were in the care of the facility when the accident happened. So, I think in the eyes of the law, they are responsible for your fall. Likely you passed out due to the suture removal, some people do. It happens.

I am not an attorney. (nor do I play one on TV ) So, do not take my opinion too far, BTW!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I'm an RN and I can't see why you would think the doctors office bears responsibility for you passing out.

A suture removal is a simple procedure. Usually 7-10 after a procedure, the patient comes back in and get the sutures removed. I would check to make sure everything was OK , apply steri-strips and the patient would be on his/her way. Of the thousands of sutures I have removed, I have never had a patient pass out.

Stuff happens. This is one of the reasons medical costs are so high is because everyone is so sue happy. I think I would be more worried about the underlying cause of why I passed out. Good Luck to you.

 

[Tinkh]

I believe that there is a time and place to sue. Heck, I even believe that the McDonald's lady for sure should have sued. Sorry though, I do not believe that you should sue your doctor. That could have happened anywhere. It was your body failing you. They did not. No way in the world that any doctor or caregiver can be with you every single second that you are on their property.

 

[Tinkh]

Oh and really do hope you get better soon!! Sorry this happened to you.

 

[rie'smom]

If you love this doctor, go back to him. They will more than likely offer to pay your medical costs.
If you sue, you might end up with another doctor that you can't stand because this one won't treat you anymore.
This is from the daughter, daughter-in-law( well used to be before DFIL died), and mother of lawyers.

Hope you heal quickly.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I am so sorry this happened to you.

You were in the care of the facility when the accident happened. So, I think in the eyes of the law, they are responsible for your fall. Likely you passed out due to the suture removal, some people do. It happens.

I am not an attorney. (nor do I play one on TV ) So, do not take my opinion too far, BTW!

Oops. I didn't finish my thought. I in no way meant that I thought you should sue, or that in any way that they were negligent. Could not predict you would faint.

Just know that I was sued when a client passed out in my lobby 5 minutes after I took sutures out of her dog,!!!! So, yes....it does happen. Ridiculous as it seems.

I think that negligence would be nearly impossible to prove since fainting following suture removal has to be pretty uncommon.

Sorry, had all this in my head, just hadn't shared.

 

[teskak]

I would only look at legal action if the place they had you for the suture removal was inherently unsafe for the possiblity of a fall.

Were you on a stool? or a bed? it is not thier fault if you roll off a bed (unless you were in a really daft position while they did the removal). But say having you sit on a stool where there is no back support vs a treatment chair "might" be an issue.

Fainting happens and is often something you cannot predict - otherwise the bloodbank would have problems for all of those fainters who go down in the refreshment lounge (the reason indeed the lounge is provided is to have donors under passive observation by those volunteers for another 10 mins after donation)

 

[DVCLiz]

I wouldn't sue, I'd tell the "friends" and family members to mind their own business, I'd return to the doctor, and next time I had sutures removed I'd lie down in the examining room for a few minutes and maybe sip some juice while a nurse stayed with me.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I'm an RN and I can't see why you would think the doctors office bears responsibility for you passing out.

A suture removal is a simple procedure. Usually 7-10 after a procedure, the patient comes back in and get the sutures removed. I would check to make sure everything was OK , apply steri-strips and the patient would be on his/her way. Of the thousands of sutures I have removed, I have never had a patient pass out.

Stuff happens. This is one of the reasons medical costs are so high is because everyone is so sue happy. I think I would be more worried about the underlying cause of why I passed out. Good Luck to you.

Yes, you should spend your time and effort (and money!) worrying about what caused you to pass out! I'd be WAY more concerned about that!

Sorry you passed out, hope it doesn't happen again... And God help the person who's property you are on if it happens again! I'm kidding... I think!

 

[npmommie]

I'm an RN and I can't see why you would think the doctors office bears responsibility for you passing out.

A suture removal is a simple procedure. Usually 7-10 after a procedure, the patient comes back in and get the sutures removed. I would check to make sure everything was OK , apply steri-strips and the patient would be on his/her way. Of the thousands of sutures I have removed, I have never had a patient pass out.

Stuff happens. This is one of the reasons medical costs are so high is because everyone is so sue happy. I think I would be more worried about the underlying cause of why I passed out. Good Luck to you.

this

I hope you are better soon, and I would go back to this doctor, not a problem

 

[hambirg]

I don't think you have a case. . .and I think any lawyer you talk to about this will tell you the same thing. I don't see how you could prove negligence. Fainting after suture removal, I don't think, is common enough to prove that any reasonable person would have been able to predict that. So how can you claim they were negligent by somehow not foreseeing it and taking precautions? You can't.

I think this just falls under one of those unfortunate things that happen. That being said, I'm sorry this happened. It sounds pretty awful and I hope you heal quickly.

ETA- And yes I would go back there. You said they stitched you up and called you an ambulance. It sounds like they were concerned and did what they needed to help you.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I, like you, have had to have many spots removed, get stitched up and then returned two weeks later for removal. I'm sorry to say it's happened about a dozen times. I have never been the least bit dizzy or even come close to passing out. I have also taken sutures out of patients hundreds of times over the past decade and not one person has passed out. Not one. I only say this because there was no reason for the nurse or doctor to prepare for you passing out by having someone there 100% of the time, putting side rails up (there aren't even side rails on the exam table that I have ever seen), etc.. I don't think even if you sued you would win anything since there was no negligence on their part. It was an unfortunate accident.

I did once have a different minor procedure and for some unknown reason I suddenly felt very funny and then blacked out. I had gotten up off the exam table (my choice, I felt like getting up at that point, nothing was happening right at that moment), took a few steps and then down I went. The doctor did happen to be there and caught me on the way down, guiding me down to the floor safely.

That was several years ago and nothing like that has ever happened again. Who knows why it happened, the procedure was very minor and I've had it done since with no problem.

Long story short (I guess it's too late for that now), no I don't think you should sue and no, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with you that caused the passing out. I didn't have any workup done for the passing out, but if it makes you feel better go and see your general practioner for an exam.

If you do plan to sue you should find a new doctor. They won't continue to treat you after you initiate the lawsuit, you might as well find someone new to take over your care from now on. That might make it easier to transition to the new doctor.

I am sorry that you went through such a terrible experience. I hope everything works itself out and you heal quickly.

 

[terri01p]

 

[NHdisneylover]

First off, I am so sorry you are going through this. It must have been frightening and I know it can be very scary to not know why you are passing out--we are going through this with my daughter now. She has had a lot of dizzy spells and passed out twice with no warning this summer.

I agree with the masses; I simply cannot see how this is in any way the fault of the doctor's office. Even if it leaves permanent damage I do not think this is their fault in any way and i am not sure why you feel you should contact and attorney then You seem to have had some totally unrelated to the procedure (suture removal) incident which just happened to occur in the doctor's office. Thankfully it was not behind the wheel of a car (that is where I passed out withuot warning when I was pregnant), while you were home alone (where you might have bled without help for a while), walking on stairs, etc. Now you need to concentrate on trying to find out what happened (though a ONE time event can be just a random thing that you never really find a reason for--still check everything out but be aware that may be the case) and on recovering NOT on trying to blame someone for something that was truly nobody's fault.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I would just be glad this happened with all the wonderful health care people around rather than at home, or at the store, or worse if you were driving! It seems like they were able to help you right away.

I'm sorry this happened though and I wish you a speedy healing process.

 

[SandrA9810]

People pass out all the time. Some faint at the site of blood or being poked with a needle. And who knows if the doctor will ever be able to find out the direct cause of your blacking out. I know they never did for me. So I just prepare myself for when I feel like one is going to happen. For me, I get lightheaded, cold sweats, the color drains from my skin. I just try to find a way to lie down as quickly as possible.

I'm sure from now on, they'll have you lay down for about 10-15 minutes to make sure you don't have another episode.

It's unfortunate that you hurt yourself in the office, but unless the equipment was improperly placed, I don't even feel they are responsible for the stitches. I think they did all that they could. And I'm hoping you have a good enough head on your shoulders to see your friends as crazies for even suggesting you try to sue.

 

[dis4less]

I am so glad to see my husband, myself, and all the dis friends are thinking along the same line. I feel as everyone else, a freak accident. It just goes to show you how people's nature are. Some are so selfish, out for what they can get, while others are about how to help out someone else. If all the world were of the latter, we would be in a better society. But it takes all kinds. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. Hopefully I will be back to myself in no time with no lasting damage from this incident and no future episodes. I will try to remember to post in a week or so and update on the healing and the doctors.

 

[NMAmy]

I hope you're feeling better soon and they can discover what's caused the fainting. I do agree with the previous posters. I'd be thanking my lucky stars that it happened in a place where medical care was available very quickly--it could have been much, much worse and you were quite fortunate to have a group of nurses and doctors at hand to assist you. There's no way they could have predicted you would faint.