Couple files med mal suit against CAMC and doctors

CHARLESTON -- Charleston Area Medical Center and four medical specialists are being sued by a Wyoming County woman who claims she was left paraplegic because vital information about her blood clotting disorder was not relayed to her surgeon prior to an aneurysm operation.

In a lawsuit filed Jan. 19 in Kanawha Circuit Court, Shirley Allen of Jesse claims pulmonogist Marie Boustani, hematologist Mayez El-Harake, cardiologist Jebran Karam and vascular surgeon Kouroush Ghalili and the hospital are responsible for her developing incomplete paraplegia with neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction.

According to the complaint, Allen was diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder --Protein S Deficiency-- in July 2003 by Dr. El-Harake.

Dr. El-Harake informed Allen's cardiologist, Dr. Karam, of her condition, who later informed Dr. Boustani of Allen's Protein S Deficiency.

Dr. Boustani referred Allen to Dr. Ghalili in December 2003, with a diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

According to the suit, Allen was not informed that she was at risk for thrombosis in the event she had to undergo major surgery. She also claims Dr. Boustani failed to inform Dr. Ghalili and the hospital that she suffered from Protein S Deficiency.

Dr. Ghalili performed a retroperitoneal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm on Jan. 7, 2004. Two days later, Allen had to undergo an emergency angioplasty on Jan. 9, 2004, to repair a clotted graph that resulted from Ghalili's surgery.

Allen's suit claims Ghalili did not order fresh plasma for her Jan. 7, 2004 surgery.

"Following the surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm, Plaintiff began to experience back pain with radiation to the left leg and her pain increased in severity with numbness," the complaint states.

Allen claims she has had to undergo extensive physical therapy and other medical treatment to cure herself. She claims she has incurred substantial medical and hospital expenses and expects to incur future expense.

Allen is seeking damages for pain and suffering, medical expense, permanent injury, paraplegia and neurogenic bladder, household expenses and out of pocket expenses.

Her husband, Bud Allen, Jr., also is seeking damages for loss of society, care, comfort, services and consortium of his wife.

The Allens are represented by Wayne L. Evans and David B. Kelley of Katz, Kantor & Perkins in Bluefield.