November 17, 2014

Question

In early Aug, I had an IUD inserted. In early Nov I discovered I was 7.5 weeks pregnant. Upon terminating the pregnancy, the Dr told me he found that the IUD was placed up against a uterine fibroid instead of in the fundus of the uterus where it should be. He said he also noticed a large mass which could be more fibroids, a blood clot, etc. and advised I check it with my Dr at my 2-week follow up. Within 30 minutes of leaving the clinic, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen and needed to call an ambulance. At the hospital, they discovered a had a large blood clot in my broad ligament which they subsequently removed via laparoscopy along with my right fallopian tube and ovary. Trying to determine if anyone could be held accountable for this medical putzery.

Answer

Did the Dr. who examined you say he suspected malpractice? Often, that's the first 'red flag'. IUD's are known to sometimes "migrate" after they've been placed (due to movement, internal architecture, etc), even when an ultrasound was done to ensure proper placement, so the problem is, even if an expert OB-GYN reviews your chart (at a cost of several thousand $$), they can only speculate after the fact that the IUD may have been negligently inserted. Med mal cases require an expert opinion that there was "to a reasonable degree of medical certainty" a departure from accepted practice - and mere "speculation" is not enough. Furthermore, the blood clot could have been secondary to the termination. so it's not a case I would take. I would encourage you to get other opinions however.


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