Lang
10/3/23
The family of a two-year-old who died after a routine procedure to put tubes in his ears and remove his adenoids has added the state of Iowa to its negligence lawsuit.
The child, Louden Lofgren, is the grandson of Republican state senator Mark Lofgren of Muscatine. He had the surgery at the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center on April 2nd of 2021. Dr. Thomas Simpson performed the surgery, which developed complications when the boy began bleeding briskly as additional adenoid tissue was removed. After he was woken up, the bleeding resumed.
Louden was transferred to Mercy Iowa City, had a partial blood transfusion, and was discharged two days later. Within a day, the boy was rushed to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics due to blood loss and dehydration. He received a blood transfusion, improved, and was discharged on April 7th.
On April 12th, Louden began to hemorrhage while eating dinner and was taken to Trinity Hospital in Muscatine, then to the UIHC, where he later died. The source of the bleeding was determined to be the area where the adenoids were removed.
The initial lawsuit alleged Simpson and ENT Medical Services were negligent by failing to properly follow-up after the procedure, get a complete history before the procedure, and get informed consent.
The state of Iowa was added to the lawsuit after the family learned that a resident from the state-run UIHC assisted with the surgery without the family’s knowledge or consent. Lofgren’s family is seeking damages for medical bills, losses from premature death and compensation for pain and suffering.