Nancy Severe HAI with complications after hip replacement surgery

Your Name: Nancy

Patient’s Name/Relationship: Self

City/State: Ocean city, N.J.

When did event occur (what year)? 2016

Where did event occur? Acute Care General Hospital

What type of medical harm did you experience or witness? Healthcare-Acquired Infection

Please describe what happened. I suffered an HAI following a hip replacement. It was noted in a rehab facility as a minor skin infection and treatment was no more than cleaning it haphazardly. Pain was so severe, my surgeon performed a blood draw in his office, which, both visually and via lab analysis, showed extensive infection. Another surgery removed the diseased bone and cleaned the area and inserted a spacer, followed by additional rehab (at a different facility) and antibiotic infusion. Infusion continued for an additional three months at home. This was followed by another surgery to repair the hip, resulting in a sizable leg length discrepancy due to insertion of rods and wires in the operative leg. Following six more months of surgery, I am able to walk with the aid of a raised sole (costly necessity) on the shoe of the opposite foot. I lost my job, suffered cardiac complications and lost almost two years of my life.

What was the outcome of the medical harm issue? Permanent disability