SCRANTON – A Lackawanna County couple allege that the severe bleeding and carotid artery damage she suffered was the result of a botched artery repair procedure.
Linda Martini and Paul Martini of Madison Township filed suit in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas on Feb. 16 versus J. Garry Wrobleski Jr., D.O. and United Surgical Associates, P.C., both of Carbondale.
In two introductory visits to Wrobleski’s office in November 2019, the suit says Linda Martini presented with a history of right internal carotid artery stenosis, or a narrowing of the carotid artery.
As a result, Wrobleski performed a right carotid endarterectomy with patch angioplasty on the instant plaintiff, in an attempt to treat her underlying condition of stenosis.
“Between Jan. 21, 2020 and Feb. 25, 2020, Linda Martini presented multiple times to Dr. Wrobleski exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with infection and compromise of the carotid artery repair, including but not limited to, fever, swelling, bleeding, drainage fever and erythema. This included visits to Dr. Wrobleski’s Carbondale office on Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25,” the suit states.
The suit says that the defendants knew or should have known that the instant plaintiff had contracted an artery repair infection and was at risk for severe bleeding, carotid blowout and/or carotid blowout syndrome.
“On Feb. 25, Linda Martini developed acute and severe bleeding and/or a carotid blowout following an office appointment with Dr. Wrobleski at his Carbondale office. Mrs. Martini initially presented to Regional Hospital of Scranton and was thereafter transferred to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital, where emergency surgery was undertaken in an effort to try to control the bleeding and repair her right internal carotid artery,” per the suit.
“As a direct and proximate result of the negligence and carelessness of all defendants herein, directly or through their agents, ostensible agents, servants and/or employees jointly and severally, Linda Martini suffered and has continued to suffer severe and permanent injuries, including but not limited to: Bilateral blindness, stroke and/or optic nerve stroke, Charles Bonnet Syndrome, severe bleeding and blood loss, carotid blowout and/or carotid blowout syndrome, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychiatric impairment, cognitive impairment, visual and other hallucination, sleep disruption, scarring, significant past and future pain and suffering, embarrassment, humiliation, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, past and future medical and medically related expenses, past lost earnings and loss of future earning capacity.”
For counts of negligence and loss of consortium, the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus interest, pre-judgment interest and costs.
The plaintiffs are represented by Andrew S. Youman and Heather K. D’Onofrio of Youman & Caputo, in Newtown Square.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas case 2021-CV-00646
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com