WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

HUNTINGTON -- A McDowell County woman is suing Cabell Huntington Hospital, University Urological Associates and one of its physicians after the death of her husband.

On Sept 27, 2007, Jimmy Dean Edwards was taken to Logan General Hospital for a work-related injury and a large mass was discovered in the area of his left adrenal gland and kidney, according to a complaint filed Feb. 16 in Cabell Circuit Court.

Mr. Edwards was referred to Dr. James C. Jensen at University Urological Associates and was seen by him the following day, according to the suit. Jensen determined the tumor was "likely a non-malignant adrenal tumor," but decided to remove it by robotic laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Surgery was scheduled for Oct. 25, 2007, but on Oct. 21, Jensen canceled the surgery to allow more time to complete the pre-surgery work-up and rescheduled it for Dec. 3.

Mrs. Edwards claims her husband was brought to Cabell Huntington Hospital on Dec. 3 and re-executed consent forms concerning additional consent for a possible open conversion procedure in addition to the laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

During the surgery, a conversion was necessary, due to the size of the mass and after conclusion Jensen took the mass to pathology for evaluation, according to the suit.

Mrs. Edwards claims the tumor was confirmed to be a malignant adrenal cortical carcinoma, but that Jensen was either in disbelief or "decided to mislead the patient and his family about the results of the pathology."

"Instead of confirming that the tumor was in fact cancerous, he [Jensen] opted to inform them that he now felt the odds that the tumor may be cancerous were close to 50 percent," the complaint says. Mr. Edwards died Dec. 12.

Mrs. Edwards is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Timothy L. Eves.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge F. Jane Hustead.

Cabell Circuit Court case number: 10-C-140