Woman Says Surgery Done Without Consent

DETROIT - It was supposed to be a routine test and a short stay in the hospital, but an Eastpointe woman says the experience turned into a physical and emotional nightmare. She says a doctor performed an operation without her consent, putting her life in danger.

"I went in for a problem to be diagnosed from the doctor to having my whole life changed," said Jackie Petracca.

She had abdominal pain, and in January 2008, Petracca was a patient at St. John Hospital undergoing a test on a duct in her pancreas.

Dr. Mohammed Barawi performed the procedure on Petracca. She's now suing the hospital and the doctor.

"Was a bait and switch. She consented to one procedure and had a different procedure done," said attorney Brian McKeen. "There was a comedy of errors made during that procedure as result of which she spent months in the hospital, nearly died, and her life has been devastated."

Although Petracca's pancreatic duct was found normal, the suit charges the doctor proceeded with surgery to which she had not consented.

"After she was put under, they switched and instead of doing a diagnostic test, they did a surgical procedure where they cut her pancreatic duct," McKeen said.

A spokesman for St. John says the hospital does not comment on ongoing lawsuits.

The suit alleges Dr. Barawi lost track of a stent he used in the procedure, and films show a guide wire going through the pancreatic duct.

A call for comment from the doctor's attorney was not immediately returned.

Petracca says she's reminded each day about the procedure she says she never wanted.

"Severe pain from... what they believe to be is the scar tissue, the massive amount of scar tissue, and I'm pretty nauseated most of the day," Petracca said.

Petracca and her husband say they don't want anyone else to face the same experience.

"She goes in for what is supposed to be an outpatient, diagnostic test. She has a surgery done instead. Winds up spending four months in the hospital, has five subsequent hospitalizations. To date, they've spent well over a million dollars in medical expenses," said McKeen.