CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – South Carolina’s Insurance Reserve Fund has paid the estate of a Dorchester County man $1 million after doctors at the Medical University of South Carolina left a blade inside his abdomen during surgery, later resulting in his death.
In January 2022, Jeffrey Alan Fulcher was diagnosed with localized carcinoma in the lower part of his esophagus and was referred to MUSC for treatment. A lawsuit states Fulcher responded well to treatment, and by May, he had completed a full course of radiation and chemotherapy.
A few months later, on June 15, 2022, Fulcher underwent a minimally invasive procedure to remove part of his esophagus as recommended by his medical provider, Dr. Ian Bostock Rosenzweig.
Documents state that at some point in the surgery, a Thompson retractor blade fell into or was placed inside Fulcher’s abdominal cavity. Bostock failed to see or remove the retractor blade and closed his abdominal cavity with the blade still inside Fulcher’s body.
Nurses inside of MUSC’s operating room also counted all instruments and blades both before and after surgery, confirming no blades were unaccounted for.
A day after surgery, Fulcher informed his providers of pain in his abdomen, but doctors determined that he was “doing well,” according to the lawsuit. Fulcher continued to alert his providers of pain over the next two days.
On June 19, Fulcher’s family members were visiting him at MUSC and witnessed a pronounced decline in his condition. Tests revealed that his heart rate was over 100, but Physician Assistant Leanne P. Hewit determined Fulcher looked “dry” and gave him fluids.
The retractor blade remained in Fulcher’s body, undiscovered, for five days, and caused increasingly severe pain and eventually perforated his colon.
The lawsuit states that at midnight leading into the next day, Fulcher’s oxygen saturation level dropped, and his abdomen was distended. An x-ray was ordered at 2:00 a.m., and a radiology report stated a “large volume pneumoperitoneum,” which is a medical emergency that requires immediate intervention.
The findings were discussed with Hewitt, and over two hours later at 4:42 a.m., she entered a note determining that another round of imaging was necessary to conclude that the blade was actually still inside of Fulcher’s body rather than sitting on top of his pelvis.
It was not until just before 7:00 a.m. that Fulcher’s wife received a call from Dr. Bostock, who explained that a small object had been left inside her husband during surgery and that a “quick-twenty-minute” surgical procedure was needed to remove “the metal piece.”
Fulcher’s vitals were taken once more before going into the operating room. At the time, he was in full-blown septic shock, documents state.
More than six hours after providers discovered the blade, doctors performed an exploratory laparotomy where the dead portion of Fulcher’s colon was removed. Later that afternoon, Fulcher underwent a second emergency procedure out of concern for ongoing bowel ischemia.
The lawsuit states that at this time, Fulcher was too unstable to be taken back into the operating room, and the procedure was performed at his bedside. The entirety of his colon was removed.
Fulcher died on June 21, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. His cause of death was listed as: sepsis, peritonitis, colonic perforation and retained surgical instrument in abdomen from initial esophageal surgery.
At the time of his death, Fulcher was only 58 years old. He left behind his wife of more than 34 years and their three children, documents state.
The lawsuit stated that Fulcher’s death and injuries were a direct result of failures by MUSC and its providers. It also claims MUSC and its agents were negligent, careless, grossly negligent, reckless and willful in violation of their duties.
Since MUSC is associated with the state, the state insurance fund paid Fulcher’s estate $1,000,000.
MUSC was contacted for a statement in response to this lawsuit, but no response was given.
State pays $1 million after man dies from MUSC blade left in body
