A hospital in the United States is facing a lawsuit from the family of a patient who suffered severe facial injuries during a surgical procedure. The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSC) hospital allegedly made multiple errors that resulted in the patient’s face catching fire.
Details of the lawsuit, as reported by The Oregonian, reveal that 51-year-old John Michael Murdoch was conscious and awake during the December 2022 surgery when a spark from a surgical tool ignited his skin.
It is claimed that the tool in question had a history of producing sparks, and the fire was intensified by the presence of oxygen and unevaporated isopropyl alcohol.
Murdoch was undergoing surgery for a tracheostomy following a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of tongue cancer.
According to Ron Cheng, the lawyer representing the family, Murdoch lived with disfiguring scars, swelling, and unhealed wounds for six months before passing away in June 2023 at the age of 52 due to complications from the disease. Cheng emphasized that the incident should never have occurred.
OHSU spokeswoman Sara Hottman declined to comment on the matter, citing patient confidentiality laws. Dr. Adam Howard, a defendant in the lawsuit, was also unable to comment due to the same reason.