A young woman has been left permanently disabled following a series of alleged medical oversights after her gastric bypass surgery. On August 12, 2024, Karen Meneou filed a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Magee-Womens Hospital and several medical professionals.
The lawsuit centers around Maya Nunna, who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on May 17, 2023. According to the complaint, Nunna suffered severe neurological damage due to an untreated thiamine deficiency post-surgery. The plaintiff alleges that despite clear signs of malnutrition and dehydration, healthcare providers failed to prescribe necessary vitamin supplements or conduct timely follow-ups. “Defendants failed to prevent, timely diagnose and adequately treat a protracted, severe thiamine deficiency,” states the complaint.
Maya Nunna's ordeal began when she was discharged from the hospital without any prescription for essential vitamins except for Vitamin D. Despite experiencing symptoms like nausea and difficulty eating or drinking, her condition was not properly addressed during multiple telehealth visits and emergency room consultations. The plaintiff claims that even when Nunna’s blood tests indicated severe deficiencies, appropriate treatment was delayed until it was too late to prevent permanent damage.
The complaint further details how Nunna’s worsening condition was met with inadequate responses from various healthcare providers. For instance, after presenting at UPMC Passavant Hospital with dizziness and nausea on July 5 and July 7, 2023, she was discharged without adequate treatment for suspected thiamine deficiency. It wasn’t until July 20 that she received IV thiamine treatment—five days after lab results confirmed her severe deficiency.
Karen Meneou is seeking compensatory damages exceeding the jurisdictional limits of arbitration boards for negligence against each named defendant: Drs. Ramesh Ramanathan, Ying Sun, Dennis Auth; physician assistants Kelly Kauffman and Juliana Donald; as well as Dr. Aaron Nehamkin and PA Anneline Lauziere.
Representing the plaintiff is attorney Ernest J. Pribanic from Pribanic & Pribanic LLC.