Autopsy; Cause of death pending?

Question

My husband was 54 and very healthy. No drug use and no prior medical history except a hernia surgery two months before his death. He had surgical problems during the operation which required a trauma surgeon to assist and what was supposed to be a 1 hour surgery turned into about 5 hours. After the surgery, the trauma surgeon explained to me that the surgeon found that my husband had infection when he was opened up for repair and that that's what caused the operation to take so long. He also explained that a mesh material that is usually applied inside the body after a hernia repair, was not used for my husband because of the infection factor. My husband was discharged two days later (had no insurance) without additional antibiotics and never did heal very well. He was at his surgeons office just a week before he died because of pain in that area. The medical examiners office stated on the death certificate that the cause of death was pending. I called the medical examiners office and was told that 2 medical examiners actually did my husbands autopsy and that the medical examiners office had requested the surgical records from his hernia operation as well as other medical records. I was told that it could take up to three months for toxicology /reports before a cause of death could be determined. What does all this mean? I thought that after an autopsy that any cause of death was found immediately at the time of the autopsy. I'm certain that my husband didn't use any drugs so I can't see why the toxicology reports have to come back before a cause can be determined. Does it look like the medical examiners think that the surgery had something to do with what caused my husbands death? Somebody please give me some answers. My husband and I have two sons that are a long way from being adults, we had no life insurance and if something went wrong during his surgery that caused his death I want to know. Will the medical examiners office tell me so, if that is what they suspect? How can I ever know?

Answer 1

An incarcerated hernia can lead to a strangulated intestine, which can result in gangrene, a life-threatening condition requiring emergency surgery. In rare cases, inguinal hernia repair can damage structures involved in the function of a man's testicles.

Another risk of hernia surgery is nerve damage, which can lead to numbness in the groin area.

Risks for any anesthesia include:

* Reactions to medications

* Problems breathing

Risks for any surgery include:

* Bleeding

* Infection

Additional risks of hernia repair include:

* Injury to nearby structures

* Hernia returns

If your husband has infection, he could have severe pain in the area. Strangulation of the intestine also causes severe pain and death of the intestinal tissue and such a condition is a medical emergency. It is also possible that the intestine might have injured accidently during the operation and that has lead to peritonitis and septicemia causing the death of the patient.

Please note that I am not a medical professional.

Answer 2

The medical examiner needs to look at the whole picture. They need to see all the records in order to put the puzzle pieces together. It is very easy to say, "Oh look at this," but when you read what took place during sx you might get a different picture.



As far as the toxicology report they would be doing you and your husband a disservice if the did not wait on these findings. For instance what if he reacted to medication they gave him? Wouldn't you want to know that? It isn't always to prove guilt sometimes it is to prove innocents.



I am terribly sorry for your and your children's loss. Please let this process run it's course. It may very well prove to be in your favor in the long run.

Answer 3

I would go ahead and file a malpractice suit