Michigan Perforated Bowel Lawsuit Attorney

What Is Bowel Perforation?

A perforated bowel occurs when a hole develops in your bowel wall, a part of your gastrointestinal tract. Food, digestive juices, bacteria, or waste can leak from the hole in the bowel. If the contents of the intestine leak into the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity), it can lead to infection. If the infection enters the blood, it can cause an infection of the blood called septic shock. This could be the basis of a sepsis lawsuit.

What Causes Bowel Perforation?

A gastrointestinal perforation can be caused by injury, trauma, and even some medical conditions. Some of the most common causes of intestinal perforation include:

• Accidentally swallowing a harmful object or substance, such as batteries, magnets, sharp objects, or corrosive chemicals
• Trauma to the abdomen
• Forceful vomiting
• Blunt trauma, such as a knife wound or gunshot wound
• Medical procedures, like colonoscopies
• Appendicitis
• Cancers of the digestive system
• Hernia
• Bowel obstruction
• Crohn’s disease
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease

What Are the Symptoms of a Perforated Bowel?

The signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal perforation start gradually, getting worse, although they may not be very noticeable at first. Symptoms may include:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Chills
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Swelling and bloating of the abdomen

How Does Bowel Perforation Affect the Body?

Developing a hole in your stomach or small intestine can cause foods or digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. Without immediate treatment, gastrointestinal perforation or bowel perforations can cause the following:

• Internal bleeding and blood loss
• Peritonitis, which is inflammation of the inner abdominal wall lining
• Permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract
• Sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection
• Chronic pain

If you pursue a claim for your sepsis injury, you may be able to recover a sepsis malpractice settlement. Speak with a qualified medical malpractice lawyer to learn more.

How Is Bowel Perforation Diagnosed and Treated?

Your doctor will search for the cause of a gastrointestinal perforation. It may include asking questions about your symptoms, medications you are taking, and treatments you’ve had. The doctor will perform a physical exam of your abdomen to look for swelling or tightness. They will also listen to your abdomen for the absence of bowel sounds. You may also have the tests and procedures listed below.

• CT scan
• Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or colonoscopy
• X-ray
• Ultrasound
• Complete blood count (CBC) to check for infections

Surgery is usually performed to repair the gastrointestinal perforation, especially if it is in the bowel. A doctor may prefer to take a “wait and see” approach to see if the hole will repair itself, but this is rare. However, if sepsis is caused by the infection, it must be treated immediately with antibiotics and fluids. In addition to the repair surgery, you will likely receive intravenous antibiotics to prevent an infection from occurring or treat one that has already started.

Surgeries to Treat Bowel Perforation

If your doctor diagnoses you with a gastrointestinal perforation, you might need emergency surgery to repair it. Depending on the severity and location of the perforation, your diagnosis and treatment may include:

• Endoscopic procedure, this procedure uses a camera to guide the instruments through your intestines. This usually doesn’t require incisions.
• Laparoscopic surgery, this procedure uses a camera to see inside the abdomen. You will have small incisions with this minimally invasive surgery.
• Traditional open abdominal surgery, which is another option, requires a larger incision in the abdomen.

In some cases, a surgeon must perform a colostomy or ileostomy. This allows the contents of your intestines to empty into a bag through a hole created in your abdomen called a stoma. This may be temporary, allowing the rest of your intestines to heal. You would then need a second surgery for the surgeon to reattach your intestines, so that you no longer need the colostomy bag. However, in some cases the surgery is permanent.

Is Bowel Perforation a Form of Medical Malpractice?

Bowel perforations during a surgical procedure aren’t always considered medical malpractice. Surgeons can injure a patient’s bowel using appropriate medical techniques if the patient has inflammation or diseased tissue around the area. However, a surgeon can be found negligent if improper surgical techniques are performed or if there’s a delay in diagnosis of the complication. If a gastrointestinal perforation or response to the perforation is negligent, you may file a medical malpractice claim. In the claim, you may request compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, and pain and suffering.

Do I Qualify for a Bowel Perforation Lawsuit?

The evaluation of a colon perforation lawsuit can be due to the various fact patterns that may be presented, the numerous issues to be considered in the analysis, and the injuries and consequences that can occur in the absence of negligence. It is essential that there be a detailed understanding of the initial surgery, the nature of the injury, and post-operative care in every case.

To sue for doctor malpractice or hospital malpractice, the result of your gastrointestinal perforation must result in serious harm or death. It must be proven that the injury was the result of medical negligence or delay of treatment. Determining whether a lawsuit can be filed is made by carefully reviewing the medical records and radiology films.

What Compensation Can I Receive for a Perforated Bowel?

Each case is strictly judged based on the harm caused to the patient. Lawsuits for bowel perforation can result in considerable compensation payouts. Surgery malpractice case settlements can include both economic and non-economic damages.