In January 2007, J.F. underwent a splenectomy, which is the removal of the spleen, at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. J.F. had a condition known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which is a blood disorder managed by steroid use. Reportedly more than two-thirds of the ITP patients who undergo a splenectomy achieve satisfactory remission to the blood disorder.
In this case, the attending surgeon opted to use the daVinci Robotic Surgical System, a minimally invasive surgical procedure, rather than a standard method of removing a spleen. Dr. Galvani, one of the co-surgeons, was assisted by a surgical fellow and a surgical resident. During the surgery, there was an incidental finding of severe liver cirrhosis, a disease of the liver.
Following the surgery, 49-year-old J.F. began showing signs of infection. The family alleged in their lawsuit that the surgeons punctured the duodenum during the surgical procedure. Six days later, Dr. Salti performed an exploratory laparotomy and discovered 1.5 liters of infectious pus inside the abdomen of J.F. But there was no detection of the hole.