I had 7 surgeries in 12 months. Each surgery was to be outpatient, and I was admitted every time for 4-5 days. In the month of October, I spent 12 days in the hospital. I had gone in for scheduled surgery, to have my right ovary removed. I was admitted and was there for 5 days. The pain on my left side was getting worse with each day. The morning I was discharged, I told the doctor that this left side pain was worse, she still sent me home. I was home for 1 night, and continued to get worse. My husband took me back to the doctor's office, and she did a direct admit to the hospital for emergency surgery. I had an abcess in my left lower abdomen. Remember, it was my right ovary that was removed a few days prior to this. I had to have IV antibiotics, a large surgical incision, and a morphine pump for the out of control pain. The abcess culture came back as staph infection. The doctor said it was a good thing that I came in when I did. I have continued with this left sided pain, I have a chronic fever, and I am just not feeling well. This was in 2004. I have had MRI's, xrays, and bloodwork done for follow up, only when I request it. They have found a couple different things, and have suggested surgery again, but I won't do it. I did talk to an attorney, here in Idaho, and he said he couldn't do anything. I went to the board of medicine and had the pre-litigation hearing. It was decided that it wasn't medical malpractice. The reason, that was stated in the letter from the board of medicine, is that the "staph bacteria moved down the trochar, from the patients skin, into the abdominal cavity." Doesn't this say that sterile prep was not used? Or used correctly? It seems so obvious to me. There is so much more to this, such as the fact that I was terminated from my job while I was lying in the hospital bed, after the emergency surgery.

I would think since an investigation was done, and it was found that it was not medical malpractice, then there is not a whole lot you can do. Since a lawyer is telling you the same thing, then it really seems like there is nothing left for you to do. Getting a staff infection is not as uncommon as you may think. Were you on F.M.L.A leave, when you had the surgery done? If you were not, and did not apply for F.M.L.A before you had the surgery, I don't think you were protected from being fired for not being available. If you were on that leave, and you were out for more than 12 weeks, then once again, you would not be protected from being terminated during your absence. So sorry I can not offer better news!!

yes in my opinion it is, but consulting a good lawyer would be the best option
As I've said whenever I've seen a question on healthcare in Delaware....there's statistics and then there's reality.
Reality is, in southern Delaware, healthcare isn't the greatest.
Nanticoke Hospital didn't achieve JCAHO rating this year...they have a "conditional" approval only, pending next review....they're scrambling to make it. They're short of nurses, and both anesthesia and radiology physicians. Waiting times for treatment in their ER are unbelievably long; so is the wait for surgery, due to staff shortages. Most of the EMS crews divert anything other than a simple injury to Beebe(in Lewes) or Salisbury, Maryland.

There are many, many "creative" ways to make numbers and percentages look good.....the reality is something else again....we work there, so this isn't conjecture...it's firsthand knowledge.

Getting your knee done in Christiana is a much better decision, CMTAD. Just FYI, Beebe's program is good, too. They don't do as many cases, because the hospital simply isn't the size Christiana is; Christiana, recall, is the state's only Level One Trauma ssytem....it makes a difference.