SPOKANE, Wash. (Gray News) – A 17-year-old boy died during a routine wisdom tooth removal in Washington state in June, and his parents filed a lawsuit this week against the surgeon.
According to a press release17-year-old Erik Edge was a perfectly healthy teenager and had a common reaction to anesthesia. The lawsuit alleges the surgeon didn’t catch the reaction before it was too late, which led to Erik’s death.
Erik’s parents, Mark and Sara Edge, filed a medical malpractice and negligence lawsuit Monday against surgeon Bryan W. McLelland, DDS, as the clinic where Edge’s surgery was performed, Liberty Oral & Facial Surgery.
The clinic is located in Spokane, Washington.
The lawsuit alleges that McLelland acted as both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist during Erik’s procedure.
“After he started to administer the anesthesia, Edge’s airway closed. McLelland did not realize this for several minutes, and he and the clinic staff were unprepared to provide life-saving care and did not respond properly. Edge died as a result,” the press release said.
The lawsuit said a separate anesthesiologist should have been there for the procedure and that McLelland should not have attempted to perform both tasks at the same time.
According to the complaint, Erik’s airway closed after the anesthesia began, which is a common side effect of the type of anesthesia used. In most cases, an anesthesiologist closely monitors the patient’s vitals and can immediately detect that the airway has closed and then respond appropriately to keep the patient’s airway open and clear, the news release said.
Since McLelland acted as both the surgeon and anesthesiologist during Erik’s procedure, the lawsuit alleges that he did not pay close attention to Erik’s vital signs, which caused his death.
The lawsuit alleges that McLelland was trying to cut costs and maximize profit by not hiring an anesthesiologist.
“With almost all surgical procedures, it is standard practice to have the anesthesia administered by someone who gives their full attention to the patient,” said a lawyer for the family. “When a surgeon splits jobs to double his profits, it opens the door to unnecessary risks that lead to tragic losses like Eric’s death.”
The family said McLelland did not tell them in advance that he would be the sole provider of surgery and anesthesia, nor did he disclose any safety risks.
Eric’s mom said his death was completely preventable.
“As a parent, you believe that a medical professional can safely perform a routine procedure like wisdom teeth removal, and finding out that Dr. McLelland did a lot of work for profit just makes our hearts grow,” Sara Edge said. “Our son lost his life in a preventable tragedy and our family will never be the same. However, we are committed to talking about and raising these safety issues so that other families can make informed decisions. Parents need to be aware that this can happen to their child. More people talking about it and spreading awareness will be the catalyst for change.”
A GoFundMe has been created in Eric’s honor to build fresh water wells in Eric’s name – a cause that has been important to him since he made a trip to Honduras to build wells.
Attorneys for the family said the ultimate goal with the lawsuit is accountability and safety.
“This family has faced an unspeakable tragedy and nothing will ease that pain,” said George Ahrend of the Luvera law firm. “But the legal system can help uncover the truth and shine a light on questionable safety practices that need to be improved. It’s a step towards preventing future tragedies like this.”
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