Man Sues Orland Park Surgeon for Medical Malpractice

An Orland Park surgeon has been sued for medical malpractice after allegedly botching a procedure to remove another man’s gallbladder.

Alfred Matthews filed the lawsuit against Dr. James R. O’Donnell and Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp. on Dec. 23, reported the Cook County Record.

Matthews underwent and operation to get his gallbladder removed on Sept. 6 at South Suburban Hospital. During the surgery Dr. O’Donnell allegedly severed Matthews’ common bile duct accidentally. Furthermore, O’Donnell did not repair the mistake during the surgery.

The common bile duct, which is attached to the gallbladder, can be cut, burned or pinched during gallbladder surgery. Injury often occurs when the area around the gallbladder becomes masked to a doctor due to bleeding, swelling, or scarring, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If a bile duct is injured during surgery bile can either begin to leak into the abdomen or bile flow can become blocked. Either way, bile duct injuries can lead to serious and even deadly symptoms.

As a result, in Matthews’ suffered both physical and mental pain and had to receive further surgeries to repair the problem. Matthews is seeking damages of more than $50,000, plus the cost of litigation.

Here are the symptoms of an injured bile duct:

• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Swelling of the abdomen
• General discomfort
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes)

Source: The Cleveland Clinic.