A Wisconsin woman has filed a lawsuit against Aurora Sinai Medical Center, formerly Mount Sinai Medical Center, after allegedly living with a retained surgical feeding tube inside her body for 35 years.
According to the complaint filed on February 5, Deborah Lowe, now 60, underwent an emergency C-section at the Milwaukee hospital in 1989 while pregnant with twins.
Due to severe complications, both infants died, and Lowe required a total hysterectomy at the age of 25. She was placed on life support for two months, during which doctors inserted a feeding tube.
Following her discharge, Lowe experienced persistent abdominal pain, gastrointestinal issues, and other health problems for over three decades.
Despite undergoing multiple medical evaluations and procedures, the cause of her symptoms remained undiagnosed.
However, during a colon procedure in April 2024, surgeons allegedly discovered the feeding tube from her 1989 surgery still embedded in her abdominal cavity.
Lowe is suing the hospital for medical negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and emotional distress. Her lawsuit asserts that the retained surgical object caused “decades-long abdominal pain and gastrointestinal issues” and contributed to “extensive intra-abdominal adhesions requiring surgical intervention.”
B’Ivory LaMarr, Lowe’s attorney, described the case as a “glaring example of systemic failure” in the healthcare system.
“No patient should endure decades of pain because of a preventable mistake hidden in plain sight,” LaMarr stated. He is seeking a jury trial and damages for Lowe’s suffering.
Aurora Sinai Medical Center has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, stating only that they have not yet been legally notified.
