Veteran Medical Malpractice: "The VA Did Nothing"

Jamestown, NYRaymond says his Veterans Affairs doctor was negligent and committed veteran medical malpractice, resulting in Raymond winding up in emergency care in a non-VA hospital. He also says that his VA doctor ignored the warnings of a specialist, causing him severe pain in his neck.

Early in February, Raymond (not his real name) experienced severe stomach pain so he went to a non-VA hospital. The hospital did a CT scan, diagnosed Raymond with a kidney infection and moderate constipation, and told Raymond to follow up with his VA physician the following day. The doctor also sent a CD of the CT scan to Raymond's doctor. However, the next day Raymond's doctor (who Raymond later found out was not a doctor, but a physician's assistant) refused to look at either the CT scan or Raymond's abdomen.

"The [VA] doctor wrote it off as constipation," Raymond says. "He ordered a few tests to be done [not related to the stomach pain] for February 12. I had an MRI on my neck, a pulmonary functions test and an x-ray."

"I kept complaining about stomach pain and they did nothing about the pains. On the night of February 12, the same day I had been in for the tests, we had to call 911 and get an ambulance to get me to the hospital because I was in so much pain. I was kept at the hospital and ordered to drink gallons of GoLightly to clear out my intestines.

"Right after I finished the drink I was told to try to have a bowel movement. While I was trying my large intestine exploded and they had to do emergency surgery. They cut out a big chunk of my intestine and I was in the hospital for three weeks, just released Sunday a week ago."

After the surgery, Raymond was put on a respirator, had IV antibiotics and an NG (nasogastric) tube. He also developed sepsis and was, for a while, in critical danger. A cardiac doctor was brought in because Raymond had a rapid heartbeat and arrhythmias. Luckily, Raymond recovered and was finally allowed to go home.

"The VA did nothing. They didn't check out my stomach or anything. I'm sure if they had checked, they would have found something. I had a $30,000 hospital bill, which the VA will have to pay for. I now have an eight-inch cut in my belly to allow all the poison to drain. I'm a mess. I have this open cut in my gut."

Raymond's situation actually required a colostomy, a procedure in which part of the patient's colon is connected to the anterior abdominal wall. The patient is left with an opening on the abdomen through which part of the large intestine is drawn out and attached to the skin. The patient's feces then exit the body through this new opening.

Raymond's complaints do not end with his colostomy. He says his VA doctor is still ignoring his concerns.

"Now, my VA doctor is trying to tell me that the seven discs in my neck are not ruptured. However, a specialist told me that six are ruptured and the seventh would rupture in a matter of months. I was told this a few years ago and the specialist wanted to remove the discs and fuse the vertebrae. This VA doctor says they're not ruptured when I know they are. I was told that if the VA didn't do something about my discs, they would all rupture from degenerative disease. The VA did nothing, just like that doctor said.

"It's the same thing as with my stomach pain. The VA did nothing about that pain or my discs. They just brushed me off like they have done for 33 years."

After the interview was completed, Raymond's wife, Jennifer (not her real name), sent me some additional information about Raymond's experiences. Here is what she wrote:

"Nobody would listen to Raymond when he complained of pain in his abdomen. It almost cost him his life. And the sad thing about it is the fact that it could have been prevented if someone would have cared. Raymond did everything he could to get his VA healthcare workers to take care of him and find out what was wrong. Instead, it took a small town hospital to save his life. Raymond now has a colostomy and a large deep incision in his abdomen that was left open for drainage. He deals with colostomy changes and changing dressing for his incision daily. He still has not received his colostomy pouches and gauze supplies from the VA. He is out of supplies and has had to borrow money for these items. He has called the VA pharmacy several times and they give him the runaround."

Sadly, Raymond's situation is not unique. Many patients who allege they have been improperly treated while under the care of Veterans Affairs, along with family members whose loved ones have died because of poor care by VA staff, are now investigating possible lawsuits against the VA. The lawsuits allege that negligence and malpractice on the part of the VA caused serious injury and even death to some veterans.