Patient's toe amputated after unsuccessful screw implant led to infection

NEW ORLEANS – A local woman who underwent fusion surgery for her toes claims she suffered prolonged post-surgery infection, pain, and eventual amputation as a result of medical malpractice on behalf of her doctor.

Marie Dennis filed suit against Marc S. Glovinsky DPM and Podiatry Insurance Company of America in the Orleans Parish Civil Court on Jan. 15.

According to the plaintiff, on Dec. 14, 2010, Dr. Glovinsky performed toe surgery on Dennis at Touro Hospital that involved the implantation of pins and screws. Dennis claims she informed Glovinsky she was taking Humeria, an immunosuppressant, and asked if this would be a problem for surgery to which Glovinsky informed her the medication would not affect the surgery.

Two days later, Dennis asserts she called Glovinsky complaining of extreme toe pain and came to the office for an examination.  Glovinsky allegedly found no presence of infection on Dec. 16 or 21 and plaintiff continued to suffer. However, on Dec. 22 Dennis claims she was examined by her rheumatologist who found an infection in her toe and directed her to discontinue taking the Humeria.

The rheumatologist referred the plaintiff to Glovinsky immediately, who allegedly wrote in his notebook that Dennis was at fault for not knowing enough to stop taking her medicine. Glovinsky purportedly noted the infection and put Dennis on the antibiotic Keflex, but after several days the wound was not healing properly and he removed a screw from the toe and sent Dennis to an infectious disease specialist.

This specialist admitted Dennis to Touro immediately for IV antibiotics, noting severe cellulitis of her left foot. She stayed at the hospital for a week’s worth of treatment.  In February 2011, Dennis underwent an orthopedic correction of her toes and an amputation of the infected toe.

The plaintiff accuses Glovinsky of negligence by failing to properly monitor her surgery and proscribe postoperative antibiotics, failing to take Dennis off Humeria and warn her adequately, failing to properly diagnose and treat the infected toe, failing to recognize a medical emergency and failing to render adequate treatment.

Dennis is seeking unspecified damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, infection and the decay of her teeth resulting from the massive amount of antibiotics she was forced to take.

The plaintiff is represented by attorney Eric J. O’Bell of Metairie.

The case has been assigned to Division J Judge Paula A. Brown.

Case no. 2014-00583.