Lawsuit: Woman dies from complications after surgery at Lexington Medical Center

LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS) – The estate of a woman who died after having surgery at Lexington Medical Center is suing the company that owns the hospital and claiming they were responsible for her death.
The lawsuit claims that Lexington Medical Center failed to respond to the woman’s complaints after her surgery both at the hospital and over the phone, which in turn lead to her death.
According to the lawsuit, 60-year-old Judy Chambers came into Lexington Medical Center on Aug. 4, 2023, for a surgery to repair a hernia.
The lawsuit said Chambers “likely suffered an injury…but the injury went unnoticed during the procedure.”
The lawsuit said she was scheduled to be discharged the day after her surgery, but said that she was feeling bad and didn’t want to leave. Two days after the surgery, the lawsuit said the the hospital “insisted” and discharged Chambers.
She was expected to follow up with Lexington Surgery in one week.
In the two days after being discharged, her condition worsened, according to the lawsuit.
Three days after her surgery, she called Lexington Surgery and told them she was experiencing weakness, inability to eat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The lawsuit said the receptionist who answered the phone told her that the doctor was unavailable to talk to her but would return her message the next day.
The lawsuit said the “inability” of the receptionist to connect Chambers with her doctor, or at the least a triage nurse “was inappropriate.”
Chambers died 8 hours after that call with Lexington Surgery. She died in her home from a rare and life-threatening condition called acute esophageal necrosis, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit argues Lexington Medical Center had a duty to prevent this death that happened so quickly after Chambers’ surgery.
“Had the Defendant’s nursing staff identified the abnormalities and changes in condition that required investigation — and acted upon them by refusing to discharge Ms. Chambers on August 5, 2023, her death could have been prevented via surgery of the esophagus,” the lawsuit alleges.
Lexington Medical Center declined to comment.
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