Army Veteran Died In A Clinic Without Oxygen Or Anesthesia, Her Husband Likely To Get Damages After Five Years

A 44-year-old Army veteran and nurse from Georgia died following alleged medical negligence after undergoing a liposuction procedure. On December 28, 2019, she underwent fat-transfer surgery at Sei Bello clinic in Lawrenceville.

Unfortunately, a few hours after the surgery, the woman died. The death was due to alleged malpractice at the clinic. Her husband is now expected to receive damages after more than five years.

It has been more than five years since the victim, Dorris Jordan, died. An autopsy report confirmed that her death was caused by brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.

The Sei Bello clinic was uninsured. This may limit the ability of the victim’s husband, James Jordan Sr., to recover damages following his wife’s death, which he attributes to negligence.

A Gwinnett County Superior Court judge has ordered that the victim’s husband be paid $52 million in damages. The ruling found medical negligence by the clinic, which ran out of proper anesthesia and oxygen. The attending nurse allowed the patient to struggle to breathe for about 19 minutes before calling 911.

In a statement to the press, Jordan Sr. stated, “I want my wife back. The money doesn't compensate for what she did for me. I just hope people get this and look into it seriously, because these pop-up clinics are not all they appear to be on the surface.”

According to court filings, the patient, Dorris Jordan, was placed under general anesthesia during the procedure. After it was completed, she was transported to the recovery room, where she was placed on monitors to check her vital signs. An attending nurse claimed she could not obtain an oxygen reading.

Records show the patient was found non-responsive even to verbal and sternal stimuli. Court filings indicate that her struggle to breathe went unnoticed for roughly 15 minutes. However, it was not until several more minutes passed that the nurse called 911 for assistance.

When paramedics arrived, neither the nurse nor the cosmetic surgeon attempted to resuscitate her. They could have attempted to restore oxygen flow using an airway device. The woman was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center after being transported there.

The prosecuting attorney for the Jordan family said the court filing was a clear example of surgical malpractice. Moses Kim said the clinic exhausted anesthesia mid-procedure. After the surgery, staff discovered that the patient’s oxygen tubing was not properly connected, as the clinic lacked oxygen supplies.

According to court orders, a Gwinnett County Superior Court judge awarded the victim’s family $16 million for the pain she suffered. Additionally, they were awarded $36 million in a wrongful death judgment.

The surgeon involved in the cosmetic procedure has sought an out-of-court settlement. He still holds a Georgia medical license.