Woman sues hospital for lost IQ, claims she's 'less intelligent' after fall from operating table
A Melbourne woman is suing her doctors, claiming she is now less intelligent after falling from an operating table.
Leanne “Annie” Toscher claims she has lost up to 25 IQ points after she fell while inadequately anesthetized,” the Herald Sun reports.
Ms Toscher said she requires attendant care since her fall at St Vincent’s Private Hospital and can no longer care for others, which has led to a loss of earnings and earning capacity.
She said she runs a private practice providing coaching, counselling and art therapy services.
A statement of claim lodged in the Victoria Supreme Court against her doctors and the hospital said Ms Toscher underwent surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumour from her breast in 2014, when the fall happened, the Herald Sun reports.
The 53-year-old claims she was on an operating table when her surgeon asked her team to move her to the edge of the table.
She alleges that while being moved the anaesthetist disconnected the anaesthetic gases, reducing the level of her anaesthesia.
It’s claimed when the surgeon applied antiseptic to her chest, Ms Toscher’s left foot lifted and dropped off the edge of the table, causing her body to fall to the floor.
She says she suffered a cut to her forehead which left a scar, facial bruising and ongoing pain to her spine, neck, shoulder and hip.
Ms Toscher’s statement of claim said she suffered "mild-moderate" brain injury and had lost up to 25 IQ points in her intellectual ability.
She claims damage to both frontal lobes left her with a reduction in verbal reasoning and reduced problem solving and strategy-forming abilities.
She also claims she suffers ongoing light-headedness, headaches, migraines and chronic adjustment disorder.
Ms Toscher argued the surgeon and hospital staff failed to exercise a reasonable degree of care and failed to protect her from foreseeable harm.
News break – November 23
