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M A R C H 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
Anesthesia or spine surgery?
A patient with a 20-year history of back pain tried steroid injec-
tions and spinal manipulation without relief before consulting
with Richard Kaul, MD, an anesthesiologist who advertised that
he specialized in spinal surgery. The patient's pain, which extend-
ed into his right leg, was diagnosed as lumbar radiculopathy
caused by a herniated disc in his lumbar spine. Dr. Kaul recom-
mended a lumbar fusion at the L4 – L5 and L5 – S1 levels. He
explained to the patient that he'd perform a minimally invasive
surgery to correct the problem by implanting 2 mesh cages and
securing them in place with bone screws. The patient consented
to the surgery with the expectation that he'd be back at work in 2
weeks.
When the patient woke up in the PACU, the pain in his right side
was improved, but he said he experienced significant pain on his
left side. This was new. He had difficulty moving the left leg and
walking was painful, so he went for X-rays. Dr. Kaul reviewed the
troubling images and told the patient he could resolve the prob-
lem with another surgery, court records say. The patient declined
surgery and instead sought more conservative treatment.
11 patients sue for malpractice and negligence
Two years after the initial surgery, the pain continually worsened
and the patient experienced depression. He consulted a neurosur-
geon who said that the mesh implant was pinching a nerve and
the bone screws had been misplaced. The patient underwent fur-
ther surgery with improvement; however, his ability to walk
remained impaired.
The patient filed a lawsuit against Dr. Kaul for damages, includ-
