MUSC pays $425,000 settlement after woman dies in bypass recovery

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - A woman is getting more than $400,000 from the Medical University of South Carolina after a lawsuit said the hospital was grossly and recklessly negligent following surgery.

This lawsuit was filed on behalf of the victim's estate, and claims a woman died after getting a bypass surgery at MUSC in 2017.

According to the suit, a 43-year-old woman with a history of morbid severe obesity was cleared for a gastric bypass surgery to help her lose weight.

The woman had the bypass surgery Oct. 6 and there were no complications at first. According to the lawsuit, her health took a turn one day later.

Court documents show hospital staff noted she had blood clots on Oct. 7.

On Oct. 8, a medical emergency team was called in for her hypotension and abdominal pain.

According to the lawsuit, a surgeon said there was no need for imaging and was comfortable with the woman staying on the floor.

Court documents show two hours after that encounter, a medical team was brought back in. Documents show that led to a CT scan. That scan showed the woman had a bowel obstruction. She was then taken to intensive care and died within hours of the first emergency call.

A personal representative of the woman’s estate sued for gross and reckless negligence, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. The state insurance reserve paid a settlement of $425,000.

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