Atlee Hall Resolves Case involving Thyriodectomy

Atlee Hall recently resolved a case against a local general surgeon who failed to identify and protect our client’s recurrent laryngeal nerves during a thyroidectomy. As a result, both nerves were damaged, and our client required a permanent tracheostomy.

Our client had gone to the general surgeon defendant after being diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor on her thyroid. He recommended that she undergo a total thyroidectomy.

During the performance of a total thyroidectomy, a surgeon must identify and protect both of the patient’s recurrent laryngeal nerves. The recurrent laryngeal nerves supply the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, which provide the majority of movement of the vocal cords. As a result, if an individual’s recurrent laryngeal nerves are damaged, he or she may have a weakened voice and difficulty breathing.

Through discovery, we were able to show that the defendant surgeon did not identify and protect our client’s recurrent laryngeal nerves during surgery. Because he failed to do so, both nerves were permanently damaged. Due to the damage inflicted during surgery, our client has a permanent tracheostomy to allow her to breathe. The successful resolution of this case ensures that our client will have the resources to help her with her future health care needs.