Georgia Hemorrhoid Institute complaint alleges misplaced coils before a suspected rectal perforation and colostomy

The complaint alleges that a physician performed a hemorrhoidal artery embolization on a 69-year-old patient at Georgia Hemorrhoid Institute. He placed coils in four branches of an artery supplying the rectum. Over the following weeks the patient repeatedly reported constipation, abdominal discomfort, and fear of eating. He was told to take stool softeners, drink prune juice, and follow a bland diet. The physician and physician assistant allegedly did not recognize or appropriately address these complaints. He was hospitalized about three weeks after the procedure with a suspected rectal perforation and the next day underwent bowel surgery. He was left with a permanent colostomy. The complaint alleges the coils were placed in the wrong location and that the physician and physician assistant did not appropriately address his post-procedure complaints.

System: Georgia Endovascular Associates, LLC
Facility: Georgia Hemorrhoid Institute
Providers involved: Georgia Endovascular Associates, LLC / Georgia Hemorrhoid Institute / Kevin Theodore Lie, M.D. / Alyssa Patel, PA-C
Pattern: Alleged coil misplacement during a hemorrhoidal artery embolization and failure to recognize a resulting rectal injury from post-procedure complaints
Harm: Alleged rectal injury with a suspected perforation, bowel resection, and a permanent colostomy

Overview

This page concerns a public complaint alleging that a hemorrhoid-treatment practice misplaced embolization coils. It alleges staff did not recognize the resulting rectal injury from the patient’s repeated post-procedure complaints.

Chronology

The complaint alleges as follows:

The patient, 69, consulted a physician at Georgia Hemorrhoid Institute on January 4, 2024. The physician referred him for a colonoscopy to assess him for a hemorrhoidal artery embolization.
After the colonoscopy, the physician found him an excellent candidate for the procedure at an April 1, 2024 visit.
On May 30, 2024 the physician performed the embolization, placing coils in four branches of the artery supplying the rectum.
The next day the patient called with constipation and was told by a physician assistant to take a stool softener and drink prune juice.
At a June 7, 2024 follow-up he reported ongoing abdominal discomfort and fear of eating. He was told to follow a bland diet and continue stool softeners.
On June 21, 2024 he went to a hospital emergency department with weeks of constipation and falls from dizziness. He was found weak, pale, and distended.
Imaging suggested a rectal-wall perforation, and he underwent bowel surgery on June 22, 2024, remaining hospitalized until July 2, 2024 with a permanent colostomy.

Alleged failures

The complaint alleges the following failures:

The physician did not place the embolization coils in the correct location, improperly restricting blood flow to the rectum.
The physician did not recognize the coil misplacement and did not attempt to remove the coils or abort the procedure without deploying more coils.
The physician and physician assistant did not recognize or appropriately address the patient’s repeated post-procedure complaints.
The practice defendants did not adequately hire, train, or supervise staff or establish adequate policies and procedures for treating patients like him.
The complaint pleads medical malpractice against all defendants and negligence against the two practices for hiring, training, supervision, and policies. It attaches an expert affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-9.1.

Entities and tags

Georgia Endovascular Associates, LLCGeorgia Hemorrhoid InstituteKevin Theodore Lie, M.D.Alyssa Patel, PA-CHemorrhoidal artery embolizationSuperior rectal arteryRectal perforationUltra-low anterior resectionFulton CountySurgical errorDelayed or missed diagnosisEmergency department carePost-operative complicationsInterventional radiologyColorectal surgery