Hunter
04/28/22
The family of a two-year-old who died after a routine procedure to put tubes in his ears and remove his adenoids is suing a physician for negligence.
The Gazette reports that 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 April 2nd 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 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 lawsuit alleges Dr. Simpson and ENT Medical Services were negligent by failing to properly follow-up after the procedure, get a complete history before the procedure, get informed consent, and allowing a medical resident to perform surgery without patient consent.
Attorneys representing the doctor and ENT have denied the accusations in an answer to the suit filed in District Court this month. The amount of damages sought is unspecified.