Family planning is quickly becoming accepted by many, thus exposing people to various contraceptive methods, one of which is using an IUD. The IUD is also referred to as an Intrauterine device. According to Healthline, an intrauterine device is “a small, T-shaped device made of plastic that’s placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy.”
The IUD is an advantageous method of contraception because it is reliable, protects against pregnancy, and, most of all, reversible. This means once the IUD is removed, the recipient can get pregnant easily.
The IUD prevents pregnancy according to the type that is being used. The copper IUD releases copper into the uterus, thus altering the cervical mucus and preventing sperm from reaching the egg. With a hormonal IUD, progestin is released into the uterus to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.
Can IUD Maladministration Lead To A Court Case?
Usually, the use of intrauterine devices is safe and highly effective. However, when the administration is incorrect, it can lead to grievous injury to a woman’s body system.
There have been cases where medical malpractice in the insertion of IUD has caused grievous harm to people.
Such is the case of Offerdahl v. University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinic.
In the instant case, the plaintiff had gotten a Dalkon Shield intrauterine device inserted at a community clinic. She was thereafter hospitalized for pelvic inflammatory disease by the defendants. The IUD was later removed when she complained of abdominal pain and excessive bleeding during menstruation.
Later on, the plaintiff sought medical guidance from the defendants on alternative contraceptive methods, and she was recommended a Copper-7 IUD with the assurance that it was safe and would not lead to complications like the Dakota.
Unfortunately, the information was wrong, as she experienced severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and discharge after insertion. She was then diagnosed with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. She had to undergo serious surgeries, which included the removal of her left fallopian tube and ovary.
This is a highly catastrophic situation caused by medical practitioners’ malpractice.
In a case such as this, medical animation can be used to show the complication that has arisen and how it relates to the wrongful administration.
Gynecology Malpractices in IUD Prescription and the Use of Medical Animation
Mistakes in the prescription of IUDs to women can have disastrous results.
In an article by Ross Feller Casey Legal Practitioners, it was stated that “although most forms of birth control are safe and effective, a failure on the part of a gynecologist to take into account the specific needs of a woman when prescribing a birth control device can lead to serious complications and even death.”
Even though IUD complications are avoidable to a large extent, medical practitioners sometimes make mistakes for different reasons.
This includes poor skills, failure to confirm if the recipient is pregnant before inserting the IUD, proffering poor medical advice, failure to determine if the use of an IUD is the best form of contraceptive for a person, and use of toxic IUDs.
A similar case that comes to mind is the case of Tracy L. Jackson v. Ingrid L. Isdith et al., where the plaintiff won $208,839 in damages after instituting a lawsuit claiming that the doctor perforated her uterus during IUD insertion due to negligence.
Gynecology malpractices involving IUD prescription are inherently dangerous. The negligence can lead to complications such as expulsion, bleeding, pain, missing strings, uterine perforation, and pelvic inflammatory disease.
In a case like this, medical animation can be used to portray the error committed by the medical personnel and the subsequent harm caused to the body of the woman.
For the use of a medical animation to be successful, it is essential to consider a qualified expert witness that would use the medical animation in support of their expert opinion. A qualified attorney and a quality medical animation added to the package can make a perfect team and a glorious win.
