Woman who lost hands, feet sues doctor
TAMPA (FOX 13) - A former intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense did not expect to be living in a nursing home, being spoon-fed her meals and medication. But living without hands and feet is the new normal for Lisa Maria Carter.
Carter went in for a routine procedure, but left the hospital without her hands and feet. The doctor in the medical malpractice lawsuit took the stand in court Thursday and said the mistake that cost the woman her way of life was not his fault.
Carter is suing Dr. Larry Glazerman, who was once part of the USF Medical Group. She wants damages in the millions to pay for a lifetime of treatment and medical care.
In November of 2010, Carter was about to be deployed to Iraq when she went in for routine surgery at Tampa General Hospital to remove an ovarian cyst. But according to Carter's lawsuit, something went terribly wrong in the operating room.
Her lawsuit claims Dr. Glazerman accidently sliced through her small bowel and didn't catch the mistake. The lawsuit claims that missed mistake led to a severe infection.
Doctors had amputate her hands and feet, and most of her lower legs.
In court Thursday, Glazerman denied doing anything wrong.
"I could not imagine how that scenario could have possibly happened," said Dr. Glazerman.
The courtroom turned into a classroom, where jurors got a quick medical lesson on the intestinal track and small bowel procedure. Dr. Glazerman said he believes a portion of the small bowel may have been injured during surgery, and, over time, ruptured.
He also said, if the bowel would have been sliced, a follow-up surgery conducted by another doctor would have shown it.
"If that had really happened, when Dr. Holtz went back and removed this piece of bowel, there would be two holes in it; a hole here and a hole there, and there weren't. There was one hole," explained Dr. Glazerman.
But Carter's legal team disputes Glazerman's analysis and wants the doctor and USF to pay up. With millions on the line, a jury will have to decided which story to believe.
The trial is expected to wrap up Friday.