A Georgia couple is suing an Atlanta hospital for negligence they say left them with mounds of medical bills and the patient missing a critical piece of his anatomy.
According to a complaint filed in DeKalb County, Georgia, Fernando and Melinda Cluster accused Emory University Hospital Midtown of losing a piece of Fernando Cluster’s skull, known as the bone flap, during a procedure. Staff negligence, they say, has resulted in extensive damages, including “ongoing physical and emotional pain and suffering, and unnecessary medical bills.”
The problems started when Mr. Cluster was admitted to the hospital in late September 2022 after experiencing internal brain bleeding. While there, he underwent an emergency surgery, known as a decompressive hemicraniectomy, which involved removing a 12 x 15 centimeter portion of his skull.
Doctors planned to reattach the portion of the skull they removed in a follow-up procedure scheduled a few weeks later. But when Cluster came back, hospital staff discovered several bone flaps were labeled improperly, leaving them unable to determine which portion belonged to Mr. Cluster.
“When Emory’s personnel went to retrieve the bone flap, there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification’ and therefore, Emory could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster,” the Cluster’s complaint reads.
Mr. Cluster was then forced to extend his hospital stay while doctors planned to replace the lost bone flat with 3D printed synthetic version. But the family was left to foot the $19,000 bill to build the synthetic flap. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, the complaint goes on to say that Mr. Cluster “suffered an infection in the synthetic flap,” which required yet another surgery to have it removed. Now, the family is seeking to recover the damages they incurred during the horrific process which they say add up to more than $146,845.
Although they would not comment on specific matters related to the case, a spokesperson for the hospital said they are “committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients and those we serve in our communities,” in a statement.