Las Vegas NowI-Team: Fire in the Operating Room

I-Team: Fire in the Operating Room

LAS VEGAS, Nv. -- Most people face the prospect of going under the knife with some measure of anxiety. Every surgical procedure -- no matter how minor -- has risks. But of all the things that could've gone wrong, the family you’re about to meet never imagined the thing that actually did.

When Concetta Tomasone, known to her family as Aunt Chris, underwent surgery for a pacemaker earlier this year, her family expected to bring her home the next day. Instead, Aunt Chris went to a burn unit, according to court records, before dying from the injuries she sustained in the operating room.

"A small group today. It's too bad. So many have passed away or left us," said Frances Bowsher, knitter.

At the weekly meeting of the Knitting Ladies of St. Anne’s, memories occupy the empty chairs.

"Oh, she was such a great gal," said Margie Hinton, knitter.

Tomasone has been absent from the group since May. The active senior underwent pacemaker surgery in March. Sixty-three days later, according to court records, Tomasone died. Not from the surgery but from burns she sustained in the operating room at Desert Springs Hospital.

"Everyday she asked what happened," said Ron Domenick, Tomasone’s nephew. "The doctor came out first and apologized and said 'I got burned, I'm sorry, I tried to put out the fire. I don't know what happened.'"

Investigative reports obtained by the I-Team detail a fire on the operating table that was caused by a combination of flammable surgical prep solution, high levels of oxygen, and a spark. An electric surgical instrument used by Dr. David Navratil “arched”. According to court records, it ignited the drapes covering Tomasone’s head. Witnesses told investigators, the patient’s hair went up in flames and her body smoldered.

"It’s really, it’s atrocious," said attorney Bob Massi who represents Tomasone’s family.

"Imagine being 90-years-old, being vulnerable on a table and all of a sudden you go up in flames and you’re screaming and the only help you have is some people taking some water and throwing it on you because there was nothing there to put the fire out," Massi said.

Tomasone suffered second and third degree burns over 30-percent of her body, said Massi -- her face, scalp, ears, neck, chest, left shoulder and left arm.

"This shouldn't happen to anybody. She suffered for 63 days in agony and it was only because of the negligence that was involved in the situation," said Domenick.

The State Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance issued sanctions against Desert Springs Hospital. It found deficiencies related to nursing for the standard of care and the administration of hospital policy. For example, the staff’s failure to call the fire department.

The total find for the violations related to Tomasone’s injuries was $800. "This was a preventable case, but the actions of all parties involved were way past negligence. They were egregious," Massi said.

A medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and the doctor seeks punitive damages in excess of the $350,000 thousand dollar cap for pain and suffering. Domenick says it's not about profit, it’s about prevention.

"We don't want this to happen to anybody else, please, please," Domenick said.

Desert Springs Hospital issued a written statement. It says, in part, … it deeply regrets the incident and expresses sympathy to the Tomasone family. The hospital insists it took all appropriate steps to prevent this occurrence. And it says the incident was quote “an unfortunate accident that occurred through no negligence of the hospital or Dr. Navratil.”

This is the first surgical fire at Desert Springs, according to the hospital. Dr. Navratil had no comment.