Michigan Lawsuit Claims Surgery Performed on Wrong Side of Head

The family of a Flat Rock, Michigan woman has sued Oakwood Hospital and two of its doctors, claiming brain surgery was mistakenly performed on the wrong side of her head.

The lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court claims 49-year-old Deborah Blankenship suffered severe brain damage as a result of doctors mistakenly performing surgery on the right side of her head. Blankenship died Dec. 8, 2008, 16 months after suffering an aneurysm that caused bleeding on the left side of her brain.

State of Michigan records indicate no disciplinary action was taken against neurosurgeon Dr. Robert R. Johnson and radiologist Dr. Hasnain Haider-Shah.

Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment by The Detroit News. Johnson and Haider-Shah could not be reached.