Brain-Damaged Surgery Patient Receives $3.5 Million in Lawsuit

By Daniel Hawn

Published on August 18, 2006

According to the lawsuit, on May 20, 2003, Dr. Bradford L. King performed gastric bypass surgery on Tamatha Cooley, then 36, at Mary Washington Hospital. Approximately four days later, Cooley began experiencing severe pain and other symptoms of complications. She returned to the hospital; however, she was discharged a day later after it appeared her condition was improving. On the day she was released, Cooley was taken back to the hospital again and had to undergo emergency surgery to treat a leak in her bypass.

In court, King testified that Cooley vomited while she was being anesthetized for the emergency procedure. The vomited material made its way into Cooley’s lungs, damaging them. King said the lung damage prevented sufficient oxygen from reaching Cooley’s brain, resulting in brain damage.

Cooley’s attorneys argued that their client’s injuries could have been prevented had King examined Cooley’s bypass for a possible leak when she was initially taken to the hospital following her gastric bypass surgery.

The trial lasted for five days before jurors delivered their verdict in favor of Cooley.

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