A couple from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a physician and a hospital, alleging severe complications following a surgical procedure. The complaint was filed by Laura John and her husband Corey John in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on May 10, 2024, naming Dr. Marianne Wizda and The Washington Hospital as defendants.
According to the court documents, Laura John sought medical attention from Dr. Marianne Wizda for urinary incontinence issues on August 16, 2022. After undergoing several diagnostic tests, she was diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and elected to have a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) sling procedure performed by Dr. Wizda at The Washington Hospital on October 24, 2022. However, during the surgery, complications arose when Dr. Wizda inadvertently injured John's bladder while attempting to place the mid-urethral sling.
The complaint details that despite efforts to repair the bladder injury during surgery, Dr. Wizda was unsuccessful and had to call in urologist Dr. Damian Garcher who managed to repair the injury. Following this incident, Laura John experienced severe pain and continuous complications including persistent vesicovaginal fistula—a condition where an abnormal connection forms between the bladder and vagina—leading to further medical interventions and surgeries.
The plaintiffs allege that Dr. Wizda's actions were negligent and below the standard of care expected from medical professionals. Specifically, they accuse her of failing to properly place the mid-urethral sling and performing unnecessary dissection of the bladder which led to significant injuries including severe SUI, uncontrolled urine leakage from the vagina, continued Foley catheter use, intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD), among others.
Additionally, Laura John asserts that The Washington Hospital is liable under the doctrine of respondeat superior for not adequately supervising or training its staff involved in her care. They also claim that the hospital failed to employ qualified individuals capable of performing such procedures safely.
As a result of these alleged failures, Laura John claims she has endured great pain and suffering along with significant financial burdens due to ongoing medical treatments and loss of earnings capacity. Corey John also seeks damages for loss of consortium due to his wife's injuries impacting their marital relationship.