Battle for Brain Dead Child’s Continued Care Ends as Hospital Releases Her

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Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys say that the body of Jahi McMath has been released from Children’s Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, CA. The California girl suffered numerous complications including cardiac arrest after undergoing a routine tonsillectomy last month. She was declared brain dead by doctors three days after the surgery. Jahi was just 13-years-old.

Jahi’s family has been in a legal dispute with the hospital since she was declared brain dead; fighting for the right to keep her alive so that she could be moved to a different facility in New York. The family sought permission in federal court to keep her on ventilator after the Children’s Hospital in Oakland refused to fit her with a feeding tube or a breathing tube that would help stabilize her during a move. The hospital argued that it was unethical to perform medical procedures on a dead person and she should be disconnected from her ventilator.

According to reports, on Friday, a judge ruled that the child could be transferred under an agreement with Children’s Hospital. The Alameda County coroner’s office issued a death certificate for the girl Friday but said the document is incomplete because no cause of death has been determined pending an autopsy. Jahi was released to her mother by coroners, the hospital said Sunday. She left the hospital in a private ambulance in the care of a critical care team while attached to a ventilator but without a feeding tube. It was unclear where Jahi had been taken.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys Discuss How Routine Surgeries Can Result in Post-Operative Complications, Brain Death

Everyday thousands of people all across the country undergo routine surgical procedures. Still, no surgery is ever guaranteed to be completely safe. Even the most common types of surgeries, such as, appendectomy, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), cesarean section, tonsillectomy (third most common type of surgery performed on children), involve some risks.

According to experts, profuse bleeding is a risk of almost any surgery. In the most severe cases, when the bleeding cannot be stopped, the patient can bleed out and die. Infections are also another common complication related to surgeries, especially at the surgical site. Likewise, patients may become victims of medical mistakes such as wrong site surgeries, leaving a foreign object inside of the patient or improper post-operative care. Any of these things may cause further complications and lead to additional medical problems for the patient.

In extreme cases, a patient can suffer post-operative complications that lead to brain death. This may occur as a result of improper care by the medical team in recognizing and addressing the complications after surgery. It can also occur as a result of the patient’s pre-existing conditions, including problems with their other internal organs. Conditions like these should always be discussed with the surgeon and assessed prior to the surgery. However, in cases where a brain death does occur as a result of post-operative complications, an autopsy may be necessary to determine what specifically caused the patient’s death.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling medical malpractice cases related to post-operative complications that lead to brain injuries, including brain death. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries as a result of post-operative complications, brain death or any other type of negligent care received by a medical provider, contact the medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

WE CAN HELP!

Call the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers of Messa & Associates today to discuss your case with a professional who has the knowledge to answer your questions or submit a free online inquiry.

Call, toll-free, 1-877-MessaLaw (637-7252), or submit a free online inquiry form.

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