JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A former patient at Baptist Hospital is filing a lawsuit alleging that doctors left a 2-foot-long towel in his abdomen after surgery.
The towel was in Gerald Stewart's body for three weeks, leaving him in excruciating pain.
"I'm in pain everyday. Work everyday is difficult," said Stewart (pictured, left). Now, he's suing Baptist Hospital for the major medical mistake.
In court documents, Stewart's doctor admits he left a surgical towel inside the patient, but Stewart's lawyers said the surgeon refuses to take sole responsibility.
"It is hard to believe that any doctor would leave something this big and this green inside any patient," said Stewart's lawyer, Stephen Pajcic
Stewart winced as he watched Pajcic describe the colon surgery he underwent in 2002. Dr. Jefferson Edwards performed the surgery at Baptist Medical Center.
After the surgery, Stewart said he felt excruciating pain, but he didn't know why. It took three weeks for his doctor to realize what had been left behind.
As his lawyer held up the 24-by-15-inch towel left inside his client, Stewart said, "It brings back the memories of what I went through and what my family went through."
In statements made during a court deposition, Edwards admitted to leaving the towel inside his patient.
"I am responsible for the placement of that towel," he said.
Edwards also said he was ultimately the one responsible for the towel not being removed and that no one else was at fault.
But Stewart and Pajcic said Edwards has since claimed other medical personnel were involved in the surgery and that he is not solely responsible. For that reason, the hospital has been included in the suit.
In the meantime, Stewart said the hardest thing is playing with his kids.
"They can tell," said Stewart of his kids. "For instance, my 4-year-old tries to keep other kids from me because she's so scared I'm gonna go back to the hospital."
Stewart said his medical bills so far are about $64,000.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/2906210/detail.html
The towel was in Gerald Stewart's body for three weeks, leaving him in excruciating pain.
"I'm in pain everyday. Work everyday is difficult," said Stewart (pictured, left). Now, he's suing Baptist Hospital for the major medical mistake.
In court documents, Stewart's doctor admits he left a surgical towel inside the patient, but Stewart's lawyers said the surgeon refuses to take sole responsibility.
"It is hard to believe that any doctor would leave something this big and this green inside any patient," said Stewart's lawyer, Stephen Pajcic
Stewart winced as he watched Pajcic describe the colon surgery he underwent in 2002. Dr. Jefferson Edwards performed the surgery at Baptist Medical Center.
After the surgery, Stewart said he felt excruciating pain, but he didn't know why. It took three weeks for his doctor to realize what had been left behind.
As his lawyer held up the 24-by-15-inch towel left inside his client, Stewart said, "It brings back the memories of what I went through and what my family went through."
In statements made during a court deposition, Edwards admitted to leaving the towel inside his patient.
"I am responsible for the placement of that towel," he said.
Edwards also said he was ultimately the one responsible for the towel not being removed and that no one else was at fault.
But Stewart and Pajcic said Edwards has since claimed other medical personnel were involved in the surgery and that he is not solely responsible. For that reason, the hospital has been included in the suit.
In the meantime, Stewart said the hardest thing is playing with his kids.
"They can tell," said Stewart of his kids. "For instance, my 4-year-old tries to keep other kids from me because she's so scared I'm gonna go back to the hospital."
Stewart said his medical bills so far are about $64,000.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/2906210/detail.html
