John P. Aydell, Jr.
BATON ROUGE – A Point Coupee Parish woman has filed a malpractice suit against a Baton Rouge surgical center for complications allegedly stemming from an eye surgery.
Deborah A. Aguillard filed suit against Advanced Surgical Care of Baton Rouge, LLC in the 19th Judicial Court on Nov. 5.
The plaintiff claims that after Dr. Joe M. Gannon performed cataract surgery on her right eye on Aug. 4, 2011 a tear was left in the posterior capsule and a fragment of the lens dislocated into the vitreous cavity. Gannon attempted to remove the fragment, but was unsuccessful. He allegedly discharged Aguillard with the nuclear fragment still in her vitreous cavity.
On Aug. 5, 2011, the plaintiff was seen by Dr. Sean C. Allison and Gannon and underwent a vitrectomy at the Advanced Surgical Center of Baton Rouge. Allison attempted to flush out the white blood cells and infected material, but the cornea was too hazy to perform any further vitrectomy. The plaintiff states her eye was patched and shielded, and she was discharged.
On Aug. 6, 2011, Allison diagnosed the plaintiff with acute endopathalmitis and two days later she was admitted to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and underwent enucleation by Dr. Thomas Stuckey.
The defendant is accused of failing to ensure sterility in the hospital setting, including instrumentation used, failing to appropriately prep the patient and failing to take appropriate post-operative prophylactic procedures to prevent the development of pathogens in the plaintiff's eye during the procedures.
An unspecified amount in damages is sought for disability, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish and pain, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life and medical expenses.
The plaintiff is represented by Baton Rouge-based attorney John P. Aydell, Jr.
The case has been assigned to Division M Judge Kay Bates.
Case no. 616753.