ST. LOUIS - Tiffany Fraser filed a complaint in May in Butler County Circuit Court against Dr. Tracy Sambo and Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for medical negligence and negligent credentialing.
According to the complaint, on May 17, 2019, Fraser went into the office of Dr. Sambo complaining of recurrent right upper quadrant pain, and was diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis and gallstones. Due to the diagnosis, Fraser underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by Dr. Sambo on May 30, 2019.
Fraser was then presented in the emergency room of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center following the procedure and complaining of severe post-surgical abdominal pain. On June 5, 2019, Fraser presented to her primary care physician complaining of severe pain located in the epigastric area, further complaining that she was only able to tolerate small amounts of food before having worsening pain, the suit says.
Fraser then went to Dr. Sambo's office on June 7, 2019 complaining of increasing, sharp, right upper quadrant pain, anorexia and nausea and was admitted into Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center where she was consulted by a gastroenterologist on staff.
On June 8, 2019, Fraser was transferred to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis where she remained under the care of Dr. Ryan Courtney Fields until her discharge on June 12, 2019. During her time in St. Louis, a bilious drain and pelvic drain were placed to drain biliary fluid from her abdomen and Fraser was placed on oral and IV fluids for rehydration, the suit says.
She was discharged with a pelvic biloma drain and was referred to home health care for help with wound and ostomy care, the suit says. On June 20, 2019, Fraser also underwent a diagnostic angiography with embolization of bleeding pseudoaneurysms of the hepatic artery around the periphery of her biloma, exchange of the existing biliary drainage catheter, and removal of the existing pelvic drainage catheter, the suit says.
She was admitted for observation, and after receiving multiple units of blood, was discharged on June 22, 2019. Fraser followed with her Hepatobiliary Surgery team at Barnes Jewish Hospital complaining of nausea, weight loss, episodes of shortness of breath, episodes of palpitations, blood in stool and constipation and it was found that she was in renal failure and was admitted where she was diagnosed with Hyponatremia, Hypercalcemia, Hyperkalemia and High Anion Gap Metabolic Acidosis (HAGMA) during a Nephrology consult with Dr. Andy Chuu, the suit says. It was not until October 2019 that Fraser was able to have her last drain removed, the suit says.
Fraser claims it is the failing in the duty of PBRMC and HMA to select and retain competent physicians and surgeons seeking staff privileges, particularly Sambo, that caused her further conditions following her initial surgery.
Fraser is represented by Luke M. Henson. The defendants have removed the case to federal court.
Circuit Court of Butler County, Missouri case number 1:21-cv-00137-ACL