A Maine mom who checked into the hospital for a routine surgery woke up to a medical nightmare after a surgeon allegedly removed her bladder instead of an ovarian cyst.
Emily Mitchell, 43, of Skowhegan, was awarded $15.75 million after a jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital negligent in the botched operation that left her permanently disabled, according to Bangor Daily News.
Mitchell underwent laparoscopic surgery in March 2023 expecting doctors to remove a cyst from her left ovary. Instead, court records say surgeon Dr. Danielle Gagnon mistakenly removed nearly all of her healthy bladder.
The shocking blunder wasn’t discovered until Mitchell returned to the hospital in excruciating pain, suffering from severe bloating and unable to urinate.
She was rushed to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where surgeons preparing to repair what they believed was a bladder injury made a horrifying discovery — her bladder was gone.
For more than eight months, Mitchell’s attorneys said she relied on tubes to drain urine directly from her kidneys while enduring recurrent urinary tract infections, kidney infections, multiple medical procedures, “and ongoing complications,” according to local news station WMTW8.
Surgeons ultimately fashioned Mitchell a new bladder using a section of her small intestine after determining too little of the original organ remained to repair, said News Center Maine.
More than three years later, Mitchell is still battling recurring urinary tract infections and faces lifelong medical care because of the devastating mistake.
A unanimous nine-person jury sided with Mitchell on Thursday, after a 10-day trial, awarding her damages for pain and suffering, permanent injuries and future medical expenses.
Husband Joshua Mitchell was also awarded $1.25 million for the loss of his wife’s companionship and support, bringing the family’s total payout to $17 million — the largest medical malpractice verdict in Kennebec County history.
“For Emily and her family, this is the closure they’ve needed for a long time,” Mitchell’s attorney Susan Faunce told the Bangor newspaper. “They can finally begin to move forward, knowing that what happened to them was seen, heard and acknowledged.”
Hospital officials said they respected the verdict and expressed sympathy for Mitchell and her family, adding that patient safety remains their top priority.
Dr. Gagnon is no longer employed by Northern Light Health.
The hospital where the surgery took place closed last year after mounting financial losses.