Lawsuit Nothing to Sneeze At: Gauze Left In Nose Post-Surgery

CHICAGO -- A woman who underwent surgery to treat a nasal obstruction ended up with even more problems after hospital employees allegedly forgot to remove gauze from her nose following the surgery.

Courtney Smith went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on April 7, 2006 to have surgery that would repair her deviated septum and a nasal obstruction, according to a suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court Friday.

The suit claims that immediately following the surgery and in the months to follow, Smith had continuing problems with her “nasal areas.”

On Sept. 2, 2006, Smith noticed something that appeared to be cotton coming out of her nose, and contacted her doctor who removed more of the “fibrous material” from her nose.

The suit says the material was some sort of gauze or packing material used during her surgery in April, which attending nurses and other hospital employees failed to remove.

“The leaving of foreign materials in a surgical site does not occur without negligence,” the suit said.

Smith sustained pain, discomfort, suffering, and loss of hearing due to an infection because of the hospital’s alleged negligence in leaving the materials in her nose.

The suit asks for an amount exceeding $50,000 for her suffering and medical expenses.

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