Court awards woman left sterile by C-section NIS 250,000 compensation

A woman who became sterile after doctors left placenta remains in her uterus 13 years ago will receive NIS 250,000 in compensation for medical negligence, the Acre Magistrate's Court ruled yesterday.

"There can be no disputing that leaving placenta remains in the uterus following a cesarean section is a grave deviation from acceptable conduct by a medical team," Magistrate Ziad Salah wrote.

The woman, 44, arrived at Nahariya Hospital in labor 13 years ago, in her ninth month of pregnancy. She delivered a healthy baby by cesarean section. Two weeks later, she was hospitalized again with high fever and severe lower stomach pains. But only when she was rushed to the hospital a third time, months later, were the placenta remains found and removed.

She claimed that she subsequently became sterile, which caused depression, tension and a disruption of her marital relations. The incident also resulted in her becoming 40 percent disabled, she said.

Doctors' attempts to create a new uterus failed, she added. She therefore accused the doctors of medical negligence, indifference, lack of skill and severe deviation from the required standard of precaution.