A patient is suing Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Penrose Hospital, claiming he suffered facial fractures after falling off an operating room table, reports The Mercury News.
The suit alleges 65-year-old Walter Stricklin rolled off the OR table and landed face-first on the ground as the surgical team prepped for his laparoscopic hernia surgery. The surgical team aborted the operation after his fall.
Mr. Stricklin allegedly suffered several face fractures from the fall and was forced to undergo a 12-week physical therapy regimen for shoulder, jaw and neck pain.
The lawsuit names Penrose Hospital and members of his surgical team as defendants. Mr. Stricklin is seeking unspecified damages above $75,000 for lost earnings, severe injuries and quality-of-life impairment.
The hospital's attorneys are reviewing the case and will respond to the suit's allegations, a spokesperson for Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health, which owns Penrose Hospital, told Becker's.