You can learn to fix many things by watching videos. For example, you might learn to unclog your sink, change the oil in your car, or get that old lawn mower working again. However, as many hernia patients have discovered, surgery isn’t something you should learn on videos. If an incompetent surgeon injures you or a loved one, Tyler Fleck may be able to help.
What is a Hernia? What is a Component Separation?
A hernia is a hole in the abdominal wall that part of your intestines may push through. Surgical treatment usually closes the hole. Increasingly, patients are undergoing needlessly complicated surgeries to repair them. The surgeries (known as component separations) are often done by physicians using “robotic” devices, which worsen the patient’s condition, according to the New York Times.
What was a hernia can become a “Mickey Mouse hernia,” where intestines move out on both sides of their torsos like the Disney cartoon character’s ears. Component separations may be advised for large or complex hernias that are difficult to close. The cost and risk of side effects aren’t warranted for those with smaller, simpler hernias.
Component separation is difficult and risky, but more surgeons have started performing it since 2006 when the approach (formerly just used for plastic surgery) was adapted for hernias. Many surgeons started learning the procedure by watching internet videos.
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Why are Component Separation Procedures Dangerous for Patients?
Surgeons using component separation procedures may endanger patients by using them when they’re unnecessary. They’re also profiting by putting them at risk by billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies multiple times what they’d get if they performed a simpler, more traditional approach.
Dr. Michael Rosen is a Cleveland Clinic surgeon who helped develop the technique and taught others how to do it nationwide. He told the Times that work is one of his biggest regrets because it encouraged surgeons to perform the surgery when it wasn’t appropriate. Half of Dr. Rosen’s work now is trying to repair the harm done by others performing this surgery.
That harm includes additional and worse hernias that may not be repaired because too many incisions were made in the wrong places. This can cause chronic pain and physical disabilities that may prevent patients from working. Botched surgeries could also cut nerves, making affected muscles useless. Patients may try additional surgeries to return to normal, but they may not work.
How Do Surgeons Learn This Technique?
A surgeon may need to perform component separation dozens of times to master it. However, one survey found a quarter of surgeons using this approach trained themselves by watching Facebook and YouTube videos. Others learned about component separation at events paid for by medical device companies whose machines can be used for the surgery. These companies make money by selling them and charging some hospitals every time they’re used. Hospitals and doctors also earn more money when using these medical robots.
The Times found many surgeons, even some paid to teach others about the procedure, don’t know how to do it properly with these systems, and their instructions include using the wrong techniques. The machine has a built-in camera, and many videos are shared online. The Times states surgeons describe some of the videos as documenting “shoddy practices and…appalling mistakes…” so those viewing may make mistakes they’ve been instructed to complete.
How Common are Component Separation Procedures for Hernias?
Medicare was billed for fewer than 1,000 component separation hernia surgeries in 2006. That increased to more than 9,000 in 2017, and they decreased to nearly 8,000 in 2021.
A study by Dr. Dana Telem, a University of Michigan hernia specialist, found that about a third of patients undergoing component separations had small hernias that didn’t require their use. Another study by the Cleveland Clinic found new hernias developed 26 percent of the time within two years of the surgery.
How are Patients Affected?
The Times describes the experiences of a California patient. Sandy Aken had a hernia about the size of her fist. A surgeon performed a component separation, but her belly still protruded. She saw another doctor who stated her problems were caused by injuries due to the surgery. Another surgeon told her the hernia couldn’t be repaired. The 64-year-old’s hernia bulge is now so large she appears pregnant. She can’t bend over without pain, and she was forced to quit her job.
Jennifer Gulledge had component separation surgery to repair a hernia in 2018. She later drove about 400 miles to the Cleveland Clinic, where she had unsuccessful surgery to try to restore the damage it caused. She was in so much pain while driving she would stop and pull over after about 30 minutes. The trip took her four days.
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If a Surgeon Injures You, Get the Legal Help You Need
If you or a family member are injured during surgery, call the Fleck Firm at (270) 446-7000 or contact us online so you may schedule a free consultation. We’ll talk about what happened, the injuries you suffered, how Kentucky law may apply, and your best options. Insurance companies have lawyers. You should have one, too.
