A woman has filed a lawsuit against Cleveland Clinic's Medina (Ohio) Hospital, a lead anesthesiologist, and a registered nurse after allegedly waking up during surgery, according to a June 3 report from the Plain Dealer Cleveland.
According to a lawsuit filed last week, Paige Horton was awake for a portion of a procedure she was undergoing to treat thyroid cancer at the end of 2022.
After the procedure, she told physicians she felt surgeons operating in her throat, according to the lawsuit. Staff members allegedly discovered that the tubing on her IV had come loose and was leaking fluid that should have flowed into her veins.
The complaint against Cleveland Clinic and Ms. Horton's anesthesiology team alleges negligence and failure to meet the standard of care that hospitals are required to provide their patients.
The complaint also alleges that medical staff members noticed Ms. Horton's heart rate and blood pressure began to rise during the procedure.
The staff then discovered the IV leak, administered more anesthesia and finished the procedure.
Following the procedure, surgeons allegedly told Ms. Horton’s parents about the issue during the procedure and called them "the worst case scenario."
A spokeswoman told the Plain Dealer that the clinic is reviewing the suit and does not comment on pending litigation.
Attorney Thomas Connick, who filed the suit on behalf of Ms. Horton, also declined to comment.