On June 3, 2014, Mary Virginia Killip had a left total knee arthroplasty performed by Dr. Prakash R. Puranik , according to a complaint filed Aug. 11 in Raleigh Circuit Court.
Killip claims during the surgery, Puranik negligently and carelessly deviated from the accepted standards of care and skill in the practice of orthopedic surgery by causing a supracondylar fracture of the distal left femur.
Because of complaints of severe pain and swelling in the left knee area, Puranik tried to manage the left femur fracture conservatively, according to the suit.
Killip claims the attempts to lessen the pain and swelling in her left knee and femur failed and Puranik performed another surgery on July 25, 2014, where Puranik performed an open reduction and internal fixation of the left femur with a Synthes locking supracondylar plate.
Growing frustrated with the continuing severe pain and swelling, Killip transferred her care to Dr. Matthew Nelson, who treated her with conservative care, including immobilizing the left knee with knee bracing, injections of Depo Medrol and Marcaine and other analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications, according to the suit.
Killip claims as a result of Puranik’s negligence, she suffered damages, including severe pain, inconvenience, disfigurement, limitation of range of motion, anxiety and depression; having to undergo a second surgery; diverse medical, surgical and hospital bills in the proximate amount of $180,000; and future surgery, medical and hospital care to correct and ameliorate pain, swelling and limitation of range of motion to her right hip, the inability to extend her left knee and remove the current prosthesis and plate with a conversion to revision prosthesis.
Killip is seeking compensatory damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. She is being represented by Michael F. Gibson of Gibson Lefler & Associates.
Raleigh Circuit Court case number: 16-C-529