[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] In the United States, a jury has ordered a hospital to pay 2.47 billion won in damages after a woman in her 40s, who was undergoing surgery to remove an ovarian cyst, lost most of her healthy bladder because of a medical mistake and was left with lifelong complications.
According to local media outlets, including WGME 13 News, a jury at the Kennebec County Superior Court in Maine unanimously found on the 23rd, local time, that Inland Hospital was negligent in its treatment of patient Emily Mitchell, 43, and that the negligence directly caused the harm.
The jury ordered the hospital to pay Mitchell $15.75 million, including compensation for physical harm, severe pain, and future medical expenses.
It also awarded her husband, Joshua Mitchell, $1.25 million for emotional and financial losses suffered as a spouse. The total damages came to $17 million, or about 2.47 billion won. The plaintiffs' attorney said the ruling was the largest medical malpractice award in Kennebec County history.
The case dates back to March 1, 2023. Mitchell, then 40, underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove a cyst from her left ovary. A biopsy after the operation confirmed that the growth was benign.
But immediately after the surgery, Mitchell complained of severe abdominal pain, bloating, and difficulty urinating. As her condition worsened, she was rushed to another hospital two days later.
After examining her, medical staff concluded that most of her healthy bladder had been removed instead of the ovarian cyst.
Mitchell then had to rely on a drainage tube instead of a bladder for more than eight months. During that time, she repeatedly suffered urinary tract and kidney infections and required several additional procedures and treatments.
In October 2023, she underwent reconstructive bladder surgery using intestinal tissue. More than three years later, she is still suffering from recurring urinary tract infections and is said to need ongoing treatment.
The Mitchells argued that the hospital never obtained consent for bladder removal and never explained that such a possibility existed before the surgery.
Meanwhile, Inland Hospital, where the accident occurred, closed in June 2025 after continuing financial difficulties and monthly losses of about $1.5 million. The surgeon who performed the operation is reportedly now working at another hospital.
Jang Jong-ho
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
