Man sues over botched appendectomy

CHARLESTON – A man claims he underwent a botched appendectomy which has left him with an injured spleen.

Michael S. Moses filed a lawsuit May 20 in Kanawha Circuit Court against the West Virginia University Board of Governors and Charleston Area Medical Center.

The university is named in the lawsuit because it employed the general surgery physicians who allegedly treated Moses.

Moses says he was admitted to a CAMC facility on May 17, 2007, where he underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy.

Seven days later, Moses says, he began to suffer complications from the surgery.

According to the complaint, physicians then performed an exploratory laparotomy on Moses during which they allegedly injured his spleen.

Moses says as a result of this, his condition severely deteriorated and caused his hospitalization to be prolonged.

Moses claims he had to have blood transfusions and developed MRSA during his stay in the hospital.

The plaintiff says he continues to undergo treatment for his spleen, which he claims has become extremely enlarged.

The condition has limited the plaintiff's daily activities and puts him at risk of rupturing his spleen, the complaint says. Moses believes it is likely he'll have to undergo significant surgery in the future.

So far, Moses says he's racked up $125,000 in medical bills.

He's seeking compensatory damages.

Robert V. Berthold is representing the plaintiff. The case is before Kanawha Circuit Judge Louis Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 09-C-946