TONSILLECTOMY GONE HORRIBLY WRONG: MINISTRY OF HEALTH ABSOLVES PHYSICIANS OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Ani Hovhannisyan
16:10, February 26, 2015
A special investigative committee looking into a possible medical
malpractice case that left six year oldHasmik Martisrosyan with brain
damage after a simple tonsillectomy has concluded that physicians
weren’t at fault.
The committee was convened at the behest of Armenia’s Ministry of
Health after press reports covered the case involving the young girl,
a resident of the Shirak Province village of Bayandour.
Last November 28, Hasmik was taken to the Mother and Child Austrian
Hospital in Gyumri to have her tonsils removed. Hasmik was then
transferred to the Sourb Astvatzamayr Medical Center in Yerevan where
she sunk into a coma for six days. The diagnosis on the medical chart
accompanying Hasmik to Yerevan read that the patient had brain ischemia
(is a restriction in blood supply to tissues, causing a shortage of
oxygen and glucose needed for cellular metabolism)
The Ministry of Health has concluded that Hasmik had experienced a
unique complication caused bypneumothorax; i.e. a collapsed lung.
A primary pneumothorax is one that occurs without an apparent cause
and in the absence of significant lung disease, while a secondary
pneumothorax occurs in the presence of existing lung pathology.
Spontaneous pneumothoraces are divided into two types: primary,
which occurs in the absence of known lung disease, and secondary,
which occurs in someone with underlying lung disease.
In children, additional causes include measles, echinococcosis,
inhalation of a foreign body, and certain congenital malformations
(congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation and congenital lobar
emphysema)
Primary to the operation Hasmik had no breathing or lung-related
problems. But the health ministry is avoiding getting into details as
to why the young child experienced pneumothorax during the operation.
On the day of the operation, when Hasmik was transferred to the Sourb
Astvatzamayr Medical Center in Yerevan, the resuscitation unit’s head,
Anna Chobanyan, told the child’s relatives that her lung was punctured
to allow for the removal of excess anesthetic.
Hasmik’s mother, Lianna Rafayelyan, says that a copy of the lung x-ray
proves that her daughter’s lung had been punctured. On February 23,
Lianna asked the medical center to provide her with a medical history
and x-rays of Hasmik. The center told her that x-rays could only be
granted with permission from the health minister.
That mistakes were made during the operation is proven by the
comments made by the surgeon and otolaryngologist Yeranouhie
Varagyan. When confronted by Hetq, she shifted all responsibility to
the anesthesiologist Ashik Dalibaldyan.
“The examination committee from Yerevan found that my surgery to
remove the tonsils went without problem. You should direct your
questions to the anesthesiologist because the equipment had broken
down. I am amazed you even telephoned me because I operated without
a drop of blood being spilled,” Varagyan told Hetq.
A few days after the operation, Dalibaldyan called the girl’s
relatives, asking that they not make a fuss and offered to pay for
her medications. After shelling out 220,000 AMD for medications,
Dalibaldyan and his wife started to complain, arguing that they
weren’t willing to take care of Hasmik forever.
We should point out that the special investigative committee’s report
does not mention that the anesthetic equipment used during Hasmik’s
operation was faulty.
The statement released by the health ministry merely says “The type
of anesthetic was correctly chosen. During its application, a very
rare complication unique to artificial respiration was experienced.”
The health ministry also failed to note that Hasmik was transferred
to Yerevan in a coma which lasted for six days.
In fact, the ministry, in its statement, applauds the surgeon and
anesthesiologist for quickly reacting to the crisis and saving
Hasmik’s life.
On February 24, Hayk Martirosyan, an investigator with the Shirak
Provincial Department of Investigations, requested that Hasmik’s mother
and grandmother come to his office for a discussion about the case.
Lianna Rafayelyan, the little girl’s mother, explained to Martirosyan
in detail what had happened. The investigator took three pages of
notes. Afterwards, he gave Lianna another 3-4 pages of blank paper
and asked her to sign her name at the bottom.
Martirosyan explained to Lianna that he had to rush off to see Hasmik
and that he would interview her later by phone and that he would fill
in the blank pages.
Two days later, Martirosyan telephoned Lianna Rafayelyan and asked
her if she ever experienced pregnancy complications. The child’s
mother repeated that she hadn’t and that she had brought Hasmik to
the hospital merely for a tonsillectomy.
Thus, Armenia’s investigative agencies seem to be in cahoots with the
physicians involved to quash an apparent case of medical malpractice.
Everyone wants to wash their hands of any responsibility regarding
what happened to little 6 year-old Hasmik.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-sZzZ4TMnY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfXXY4mWIQY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQhMofpHR44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv1zB0SiD8Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQhMofpHR44
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58738/tonsillectomy-gone-horribly-wrong-ministry-of-health-absolves-physicians-of-medical-malpractice.html