South Carolina has paid $1 million to the estate of a man who died just days after doctors discovered a surgical blade had been left inside his body during an operation.
On June 15, 2022, Jeffrey Fulcher underwent what was intended to be a “minimally invasive” procedure to remove part of his esophagus following a diagnosis of localized carcinoma in its lower section, according to Cleveland 19 News and WCSC.
During the surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), a Thompson retractor blade reportedly “fell into or was placed inside Fulcher’s abdominal cavity,” according to documents cited in a lawsuit.
Dr. Ian Rosenzweig, who had both recommended and performed the surgery, allegedly failed to notice or remove the blade before closing the incision. Despite Fulcher’s repeated complaints of abdominal pain over the following two days, doctors continued to tell his family that he was “doing well.”
By June 19, 2022, Fulcher’s family noticed a clear “decline in his condition,” with his heart rate consistently recorded above 100 beats per minute. Later, an X-ray and radiology report confirmed a medical emergency requiring immediate attention, per Cleveland 19 News.
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It wasn’t until five days after the surgery that medical staff detected the retractor blade still inside the father of three. Dr. Rosenzweig allegedly contacted Fulcher’s wife to explain that her husband would need a “quick, twenty-minute” procedure to remove it.
More than six hours after the discovery, surgeons performed an exploratory laparotomy to remove Fulcher’s entire colon. A second emergency operation followed to investigate possible bowel ischemia, according to Cleveland 19 News.
The misplaced blade had perforated Fulcher’s colon, causing severe internal damage. He died at 2:30 p.m. on June 21, 2022.
Fulcher’s cause of death was listed as sepsis, peritonitis, and colonic perforation—all linked to the surgical instrument left inside his body.
According to the lawsuit, the Medical University of South Carolina was found responsible for Fulcher’s death, with the court citing gross negligence and willful violation of medical duty.
