Professional Negligence Law Reporter

Heather Borghese underwent a sleeve gastrectomy at a hospital. After she was discharged from the hospital on total parenteral nutrition, she experienced nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Her symptoms continued despite an endoscopic procedure with stent insertion. No leak was identified during a GI series with contrast. Her treating physician allegedly told her that her symptoms could be related to a fistula and that she had a severe twist in her GI tract. Borghese agreed to undergo additional surgery.

Before the procedure, testing revealed that Borghese had a low thiamine level of 33. She started thiamine supplementation approximately two weeks later and underwent a gastric sleeve revision. She now uses a wheelchair and suffers from dizziness. Her condition is reportedly permanent.

Borghese sued the hospital, alleging failure to timely diagnose and treat thiamine and multivitamin deficiencies.

The parties settled for $750,000.

Citation: Borghese v. Ohio State Univ. Wexner Med. Ctr., No. 2021-00287JD (Ohio Ct. Cl. Apr. 10, 2024).

Plaintiff counsel: David Shroyer, Columbus, Ohio; and AAJ member Mollie Slater, Tacoma, Wash.