A routine surgical procedure involving a robot left a woman with severe injuries, as detailed in a recent lawsuit.
Star Button, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, spent three harrowing months in the hospital following a robotic hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of the uterus, that did not go as planned.
Button had been suffering from chronic pain and bleeding for several years, conditions that doctors attributed to noncancerous tumors.
She chose to undergo the robotic surgery at Southern Regional Medical Center, expecting it to be a standard procedure, she shared with Atlanta News First.
However, in her lawsuit, Button alleges that both the hospital and Dr. Beverly Love did not provide the necessary level of care and skill, resulting in the unintended removal of her ovary.
After slipping into a coma, Button awoke in the intensive care unit, where she faced complications such as significant blood loss and infections.
She told the outlet: ‘I was thinking how am I going to get to the other side of this, I was thinking “I hope I wake up in the morning” every night I fell asleep.’
After three months in hospital, the amount of medical bills forced her out of her home and her recovery also cost her her job, with her marriage also not surviving.
Star Button, from Atlanta, Georgia, ended up in hospital for three months after undergoing a robotic hysterectomy, the removal of her uterus, that went wrong.
Button slipped into a coma for days after the surgery and woke up in an intensive care unit where she battled blood loss and infections for months
She told the outlet that the experience was ‘devastating’ and had left her with severe PTSD, and health issues including an ongoing battle with sepsis.
According to one expert hired by her attorneys, the medical staff ‘failed to adhere to standard of care’.
Dr. Love has since died, with his own representatives blaming Button’s medical history which they said caused the complications.
In a video captured by Button’s husband, shared with the outlet, the late doctor could be heard describing the procedure.
He said: ‘Well, what happened was we had some technical challenges and I couldn’t manipulate the uterus the way I wanted to so I couldn’t really get to the blood vessels the way I wanted to.
‘We just converted to just going straight taking it out through the vagina and we stopped the robot.’
According to the Georgia state medical board, there was no medical malpractice insurance on file for Dr. Love.
Button shared graphic images of wounds to her arms to a GoFundMe page she has organized that came about after the surgeyr
The robot tool that carried out the surgery is seen here
According to the Georgia state medical board, there was no medical malpractice insurance on file for Dr. Love
Such an insurance protects doctors and patients who want to seek financial damages, under state law however doctors are not required to have it.
The robot used was the Da Vinci, a common robotic surgery device used across the globe. The manufacturer Intuitive Surgical is not named in the suit.
A spokesperson told the outlet: ‘Patient safety is our highest priority. More than 20 million procedures have been performed globally using da Vinci systems.
‘The safety and effectiveness of our systems are supported by more than 48,000 peer‑reviewed publications, which, in aggregate, demonstrate positive clinical outcomes for patients.’
Button is hoping to recover damages from her negligence suit and also wants to bring about change over how patients are protected from doctors without insurance.
Southern Regional Medical Center said: ‘Our focus remains on providing high-quality, compassionate care and serving the patients and communities who rely on us every day.
‘Due to pending litigation, we are not able to comment on this matter.’
