Sommers Schwartz attorneys Matthew Turner and Michael McCullough, II filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of a man who suffered severe nerve damage and other serious medical problems after he received an unnecessary and negligently performed celiac nerve block.

According to the complaint, the defendant radiologists administered a non-indicated celiac plexus nerve block to the plaintiff during a procedure at defendant William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. A celiac plexus nerve block is an injection of pain medication into the back that helps relieve abdominal pain, commonly due to cancer or chronic pancreatitis. Defendants administered the nerve block without performing a thorough medical history and examination and without the plaintiff’s informed consent.

The radiologists failed to perform the nerve block at the appropriate site and did not use the required technique. Had the defendants met the applicable standard of care in this regard, they would have ensured the proper placement of all instruments and needles during the procedure. When performing a celiac plexus nerve block, contrast is injected to ensure proper placement of the needle. Despite the operation note indicating that contrast was injected and visualized, the CT images prove that no contrast was ever injected. As a result, the ethanol and bupivacaine cocktail was injected in the wrong location and ablated the sympathetic ganglion.

As a result of the negligently administered nerve block, the plaintiff sustained significant nerve damage that causes him to suffer from persistent diarrhea and fecal incontinence. He has required ongoing medical treatment, including hospitalizations and procedures, medication, and medical equipment to treat and manage the conditions caused by the defendants’ negligence. The lawsuit sought compensation for the plaintiff’s medical expenses, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity, among other damages.