GALVESTON – A Jefferson County man is suing the University of Texas System and its subsidiaries for an allegedly botched operation, recent court documents say.
Ryan White claims to have suffered pain, weakness, nausea, swelling, fluctuating body temperature, and other symptoms as a result of a cholecystectomy performed on him by physicians at the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2006.
The 120-year-old medical institution, John Sealy Hospital, and Drs. Son Xuan Nguyen and Guillermo Gomez are co-defendants in the case.
According to a lawsuit filed before Galveston County District Court on Nov. 10, White sought treatment for an undisclosed medical condition from UTMB on Nov. 7, 2006, and was advised to undergo surgery.
Drs. Nguyen and Gomez attempted to perform a cholecystectomy by laparoscopy, the suit says.
The procedure apparently did not go well for White as he became increasingly ill during the recovery process. Consequently, he visited another physician who determined his operation a failure.
"Plaintiff became so ill he sought treatment from another physician, who investigated and determined the source of plaintiff's problem to be an incomplete cholecystectomy performed by defendants," the suit explains.
It further explains that White was admitted into another hospital for completion of the cholecystectomy, exploration of the affected portions of his body, and treatment of the complications in question.
"As a result, plaintiff has suffered severe and permanent bodily injury," court papers say.
The suit blames the defendant for acts such as the following:
White, who is represented by Beaumont attorney B. Adam Terrell, seeks damages resulting from physical pain and impairment, mental anguish, and reasonable medical expenses. She also demands a jury trial.
Galveston County 56th District Court Judge Lonnie Cox is presiding over the case.
Case No. 08CV1136