NASHVILLE (CN) - A man claims his doctor botched a complex surgery that replaced his cancerous esophagus with a substitute esophagus made from part of his colon. He claims the surgeon committed malpractice by failing to ensure that the substitute esophagus had a sufficient blood supply. The transplanted tissue died, and the man is on a feeding tube, unable to drink or eat.
Thomas Sanders and his wife sued Dr. Himalaya Lele and The Surgical Clinic, of Nashville, citing the results of Thomas Sanders' "esophagectomy and colon interposition for esophageal replacement."
According to the complaint in Davidson County Court, "This complex procedure is twofold. The cancerous esophagus has to be removed, and then it is replaced with a substitute esophagus that is fashioned from a section of the patient's colon. One of the critical aspects of this procedure is to insure that the substitute esophagus have an adequate blood supply, because if it does not, the newly created esophagus will die."
Sanders claims his substitute esophagus died because Dr. Lele did not give it enough blood.
He had "to undergo a second surgery to have the necrotic substitute esophagus removed, leaving Mr. Sanders with no esophagus and, therefore, unable to eat or drink anything," according to the complaint.
Sanders claims he might have been able to undergo a second replacement surgery, had Dr. Lele not left his colon in such bad shape.
Sanders and his wife charge seek compensatory and punitive damages from Dr. Lele and The Surgical Clinic.
They are represented by Lawrence Hart.
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