The University of California San Francisco has agreed to pay $15 million to settle allegations that medics mistakenly mixed her anesthetic with chemical formaldehyde, according to a Dec. 5 report from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The patient, a 42-year-old woman from Sonoma, Calif., went to UCSF hospital in 2021 with a swollen and bleeding fibroid in her uterus that required surgery.
During the procedure, medics allegedly mixed anesthetic with an unlabeled cup on the same tray that contained formalin, or liquid formaldehyde.
The patient allegedly suffered burns to her pelvic muscle and tissue, nerve damage, loss of strength and mobility and pain that has continued three years later.
The university did not provide a comment to the Chronicle, citing "patient privacy laws. Lawyers for the woman and her husband told the outlet that the settlement will enable the couple to pay their medical bills.