A woman who was severely burned in an OR fire during breast reconstruction surgery is suing the plastic surgeon who allegedly ignited a surgical prep at the incision site with an electrocautery device.
Last December at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla., E. Bradley Garber, MD, allegedly swabbed Connie Plumlee with a chlorhexidine gluconate and alcohol prep and then turned on a cautery device before the alcohol had evaporated. The surgical prep and the drapes caught fire. The fire was so intense that it melted the endotracheal tube, burning the inside of Ms. Plumlee's mouth, according to documents filed this week in District Court for Tulsa County. Ms. Plumlee and her husband, Jack, are suing for Dr. Garber and the hospital for $600,000.
Ms. Plumlee told KOTV News on 6 that when she woke up in recovery she had bandages on her face and the upper half of her body. A hospital staff member asked if she knew what had happened. "He had tears in his eyes," said Ms. Plumlee. The staffer said: "You were burned." Each year between 550 and 650 surgical fires occur in the United States, according to the ECRI Institute.
Ms Plumlee alleges that Dr. Garber told her the injury was not serious and that she wouldn't scar. However, Ms. Plumlee says that her face and lips are now deformed and will require surgery. She's in pain, developed shingles and also claims that she can no longer teach school.
Attorneys for Dr. Garber and St. John Medical Center told reporters they could not comment on the case.
Kent Steinriede
