Kidney stones are a relatively common medical condition – in fact, it’s been estimated that 1 in 10 people will have a kidney stone at some point in their life. Although the condition can be painful and disruptive to everyday life, many patients are able to pass kidney stones naturally. However, in more serious cases, the stone may cause an infection or block the flow of urine, putting the patient’s life on the line if a doctor misdiagnosis their condition.
Facts About Kidney Stones
There are four kinds of kidney stones that a patient can develop, including:
- Uric Acid: This is a common form of kidney stone which can form if a patient has a high intake of purines which are commonly found in organ meats and shellfish. Often, the formation of uric acid stones runs in families.
- Calcium Oxalate: Typically this occurs when a patient has inadequate calcium intake and fails to hydrate properly.
- Cystine: Extremely rare, this type of stone occurs when a patient has cystinuria, a disorder which causes cystine to leak into the urine. These stones typically re-occur and can be quite large.
- Struvite: Another rare form of stone, typically these form due to infection in the urinary tract.
Symptoms Of A Kidney Stone
Kidney stones cause nearly half a million people to go to the emergency room every year. Typically, these patients present with symptoms such as:
- Severe low back pain.
- Hematuria – blood in the urine.
- Stomach Pain.
- Difficulty urinating.
- Pain while urinating.
Even though most stones can pass naturally, it is painful to pass a stone and a doctor may prescribe pain relievers.
Treatments For Kidney Stones That Can’t Be Passed
If a stone is too large, it simply won’t pass. This is when additional treatments may be offered, including:
In this treatment, doctors use shock waves to try and break up the stone into smaller stones that can be passed. Unfortunately, it is not effective on all stones and the larger the stone, the less likely the treatment will work.
This is when an endoscope is passed into the ureter to either retrieve or break up a stone.
This surgical procedure is typically only used if the first two are unsuccessful or if the patient simply isn’t a candidate. A surgeon will make a cut into the patient’s back in order to get access to their kidney so that the stone can be surgically removed.
When a kidney stone requires additional treatment, doctors must move quickly, otherwise, their patients can suffer the consequences.
$24.3 Million Awarded To Woman After Kidney Stone Treatment Goes Wrong
On March 1st, 2011, a 29-year-old woman went to the emergency room because she was in severe pain. Ultimately, she would be diagnosed with an infected kidney stone, however, according to her lawsuit, the on-call urologist failed to examine her for over 24 hours.
By the time she was examined, the infection was severe enough that she had to undergo a surgical procedure to drain the infection and place a stent. Then the plaintiff was hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
While in the ICU, the critical care physician administered a vasopressor which is a type of drug that constricts the blood vessels and helps prevent the loss of water. However, patients should be closely monitored for loss of circulation. This time, the doctors failed to monitor their patient.
By the time anyone noticed, the plaintiff had lost circulation in her extremities and the result was the loss of both of her legs below the knee and one hand. She has been unable to return to work and had to wear a prosthesis.
She sued several doctors and the hospital, alleging that they failed to treat her kidney stone in a timely manner and that they failed to monitor her after giving her the vasopressor. The case went to trial and the jury ultimately sided with the plaintiff, awarded her more than $24 million for her losses.
Sadly, this is just one of the thousands of medical malpractice cases which will go to court this year because doctors fail to do what is right for their patients.
If you or a loved one have suffered because of the poor care a doctor gave you, contact our law firm today. You may be owed significant compensation.