Greenville Hospital named in med mal suit

Larry Sayler of Greenville filed a medical malpractice suit against Greenville Regional Hospital and several doctors and nurses in St. Clair County Circuit Court Jan. 18.

Sayler alleges that Greenville nurse William Daniels, R.N. and doctors Tricia Gifford, M.D. and Shawn Shekar, M.D. deviated from the requisite standard of care when rendering emergency room nursing services by removing, or assisting in removing a urinary catheter on Jan. 23, 2004.

According to the complaint, the catheter removal was performed nine days after a radical retropubic prostatectomy, but without consulting a urologist.

"(The defendant) blindly inserted a Foley catheter without direct vision into Sayler's urethra disrupting the surgical anastomoses," the suit states.

Sayler claims Shekar also failed to identify the position of his catheter which was allegedly outside of the bladder behind his abdominal lining and retro pelvic area.

He claims his family physician Kendall Stephens, M.D. failed to timely consult a urologist regarding the blood in his urine and failed to transfer him to the care of a urologist at a tertiary care center.

Sayler claims he suffered narrowing of his urethra, bladder neck contracture, pain and suffering, along with anxiety and depression.

He also claims he will require repeated surgeries on his urethra which requires repeated hospitalizations, chronic urinary catheterizations, lost wages and he has become liable for large medical bills.

His wife, Cynthia Anne Sayler, also is seeking damages alleging she has suffered a loss of her husband's services.

The Saylers and the hospital are located in Bond County, but the suit claims co-defendant Midwest Emergency Department, who employs Dr. Gifford, is a corporation with its principle place of business in O'Fallon.

The Saylers are seeking damages in excess of $700,000. They are represented by Paul Schoen of the Rex Carr Law Firm in East St. Louis.

06 L 32 (20th Circuit)