Man Sues Doctor For Allegedly Leaving 57-Inch Wire In His Body

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Man Accuses Doctor Of Leaving 57-Inch Wire In His Body Fourteen Years Ago

So one Las Vegas man unknowingly had a whole a$$ metal wire in his body, and now he wants to hold the responsible parties accountable.

According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, German “OT” Ortiz lived for a decade without knowing a 57-inch metal wire was running through his body. When a doctor told him in 2015 that he needed surgery to clear blood clots, an X-ray showed the wire stretching down his aorta, from his chest to his thigh, according to his attorney James Jimmerson.

Ortiz’s lawyers are now asking a jury to award him upward of $800,000 from Mark Taylor, the cardiologist who did a 2005 angioplasty, and Heart Center of Nevada, the company he runs.

Ortiz is a 70-year-old man who serves as a youth pastor at Cornerstone Christian Academy and Preschool. A year ago, medical professionals removed two-thirds of the wire inside him for a heart procedure, according to Jimmerson. Now, more than 20 inches remain in his thigh.

Ortiz experienced this whole fiasco when he was rushed to the University Medical Center emergency room 14 years ago after experiencing shortness of breath. Doctors explained that he had congestive heart failure and required an angiogram, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in 2016.

In an angiogram procedure, a catheter is inserted through the bloodstream to spread a dye that lets doctors take photographs of blood vessels, Jimmerson explained to jurors, holding a sample of a wire used to keep the catheter stiff. In Ortiz’s situation, when the catheter was removed, a guide wire remained in his body, according to the suit.

The suit alleges medical malpractice, negligent infliction of emotional distress, professional negligence, negligent hiring, training and supervision, and loss of consortium.

Mark Taylor’s lawyer, Patricia Daehnke, argues that another doctor must have left the wire inside Ortiz, claiming that Taylor was never informed that the guide wire had been lost.

“Dr. Taylor met the standard of care and in no way was negligent or un-careful in his cardiology,” she said, pointing to notes from the procedure Taylor carried out. “We’re not here to pin responsibility on Dr. Taylor. We’re here to present the evidence to you.”

Jimmerson asked jurors to hold Taylor and his company accountable for causing “pain, anxiety and the probability of future surgery for blood clots.”

“A doctor must pay careful attention during a procedure,” Jimmerson said. “If a doctor does not pay careful attention during a procedure, the doctor is responsible for the injuries caused.”