Barboursville man sues dentist, claims life-threatening injuries

HUNTINGTON - A man is suing a Huntington dentist after he claims he suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of a breach of duty of care.

Dr. John E. Brock DDS; Drs. Black, Allen, Krajekian & Brock Inc., doing business as Mountain State Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, were all named as defendants in the suit.

Eddie L. Wilds was a patient of the defendants in 2011, according to a complaint filed Sept. 24 in Cabell Circuit Court.

Wilds claims during his initial appointment, Brock recommended surgical advancement of his maxilla and mandible to open up posterior impingement of the airway, as well as an open septorhinoplasty to provide for increased nasal breathing.

Brock scheduled Wilds for surgery without any documented contact between himself and the physicians caring for Wilds' sleep apnea; without any documented review of the success or failure of current treatment for his sleep apnea; without review of the most recent sleep studies performed on Wilds in 2009; and without requesting that a sleep study be done to assess the current status of Wilds' sleep apnea, according to the suit.

Wilds claims it was a breach of standard of care by Brock to have failed to adequately evaluate the current status of his sleep apnea and determine the need or indication for further treatment before proceeding with major maxillofacial surgery.

On Sept. 29, 2011, Wilds underwent the surgery performed by Brock and, during preparation for awakening after surgery, it was discovered that Wilds' maxilla had broken free from its fixation device due to significant muscle contractions, according to the suit.

Wilds claims Brock elected to place him in maxillomandibular fixation in which the jaws are wired together to allowing healing before the procedure of repairing the jaw could be attempted against.

After removal of the endotracheal anesthesia tube from Wilds during the emergence from anesthesia, bleeding from the operative sites occurred, causing him to aspirate blood into his lungs and created a life-threatening interference with normal breathing and required supportive and invasive treatment in the intensive care unit for several days, according to the suit.

Wilds claims the defendants attempted to repair the damage they caused with two further operations on Oct. 3, 2011, and Nov. 3, 2011.

The defendants caused Wilds to suffer facial disfigurement; the inability and/or difficulty with eating, chewing or swallowing certain foods; a diminished ability to speak clearly; and permanent nerve damage in his face and jaws, according to the suit.

Wilds is seeking compensatory damages with pre-judgment interest. He is being represented by John F. Cyrus and S. Douglas Adkins of Cyrus & Adkins.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge David M. Pancake.

Cabell Circuit Court case number: 13-C-717