21-Year-Old Dancer Paralyzed During Spinal Surgery to Treat Scoliosis

Jaehyun Oh obtained a significant settlement on behalf of a 21-year-old woman who was tragically paralyzed as a during spinal fixation surgery to treat her scoliosis. Prior to the surgery, our client was an avid dancer, able to walk independently, very healthy, and only suffered from some pain and discomfort as a result of her scoliosis. Originally from the Ivory Coast, our client immigrated to the United States with the hopes of receiving treatment that she did not otherwise have access to in her hometown, but she never expected to wake up from surgery completely paralyzed.

During spinal fixation surgery, segments of an individual’s spine are stabilized using hardware or implants. Before performing any spinal surgery, a surgeon must determine if an individual’s spine has any irregularities that could lead to complications during the surgery. Our client had a tethered spinal cord which meant that her spinal cord was very fragile because it was attached to the wall of her spinal canal. Given that she had this condition, her surgeons should have untethered her spinal cord prior to performing the surgery to minimize the risk of complication.

Unfortunately, our client’s surgeons neglected to untether her spinal cord before the operation, which resulted in extreme tension during surgery causing her to become paralyzed. Our client was shocked and heartbroken when she woke up from surgery to find that she could not move either of her legs at all. Surgeons attempted to perform a revision surgery shortly after the first procedure; however, the second surgery did not alleviate any of her symptoms.

The Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of our client alleging that her surgeons should have confirmed whether her spinal cord was tethered before performing the surgery. As a result of the surgical malpractice, our client became completely paralyzed and can no longer perform day-to-day tasks without the help of a caregiver. She also suffered from a loss of quality of life and an extreme emotional toll at such a young age.

The case was successfully resolved during a mediation shortly before trial was set to begin. The monetary award to our client will enable her to receive the proper medical care and attention she requires.

If you or a loved one have experienced complications during spinal surgery leading to paralysis, contact a New York Spinal Surgery Malpractice Attorney today. We can help you seek compensation for your injuries.