10 Comments

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  helloklitty at 07:39 PM JST - 20th August

  Removing the placenta was not a mistake. Failing to recognize placenta accreta (placenta implanted into the uterine wall) would result in severe bleeding and necessitate the removal of the uterus - which was not done in this case. I wonder why he was not negligent?

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  romulus3 at 08:10 PM JST - 20th August

  I am also confused as to why its the womans fault she died. The husband may very well seek his own justice after this ruling if he loved his wife.

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  rtrhead1 at 08:38 PM JST - 20th August

  i would, assuming my child also died. and that isn't internet e-thuggery.

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  romulus3 at 08:45 PM JST - 20th August

  rtrhead1, me too. On a grand scale with no thought of myself. It took years for this ruling to take place. The man has connections and escaped blame through time lapse. 4 years to get a ruling? only in japan. I would have lost it well before then.

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  mikihouse at 09:33 AM JST - 21st August

  This is a case of intrauterine adhesion wherein the placenta and the baby are entwined. Most of the causes of this conglutination is trauma either due to history of abortion, infection, or tumor. The placenta is highly vascularized, meaning its like cutting up a big major blood vessel resulting to massive blood loss. Normaly, once the placenta is removed, the bleeding is controlled but this was not the case. The possibility existed that the placenta and uterus were also adhered to each other and might have necessitate removal of the uterus too. However, there is no clear cut criteria when to remove the uterus and the doctor with his limited knowledge and skill did his best to save the baby's life and tried to save the patient life. He can not be charged with negligence in any level. Furthermore, its because of this case that doctors have stop applying to become OB-gynecologist in Japan resulting to a very limited number of obstetrician in Japanese hospitals. Now hospitals often refused patients who might have complications especially around the kansai kyushu area becuase of fear to be sued thus the news of mothers going aound in ambulances without doctors taking them.

  The loss of life is sad but it is rarely the doctors fault. Childbearing carries risks, Any abnormality during childbirth carries further risk. Doctors are human.

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  rtrhead1 at 11:16 AM JST - 21st August

  yeah, rare. but when it happens, especially here, with this system, it is usually through negligence or just stupidity.

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  presto345 at 12:30 PM JST - 21st August

  Doctors (surgeons) indeed are human. They make mistakes, sometimes fatal ones. Proving their incompetence in court is tricky. That it took the legal system 4 years to come to a verdict is a damn shame.

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  mikihouse at 01:24 PM JST - 21st August

  The patient has been advised not to have another baby because the risk is quite high the first time she had delivery. The doctor also recommend that the patient needs to go to a bigger hospital because of possibility of complications the second time she had a baby but she refused because she doesn't want to pay the inpatient fee in bigger hospital (childbirth is not covered by insurance and it cost much to stay in the hospital). Furthermore, she did not want to pay the train fee. When she is about to give birth she came to the maternity clinic and while the doctor said that she needs to have her uterus removed, she refused saying she wanted to have another baby. Taking all these things into account, the judge give a non guilty verdict.

  The problem with mass media is when they kept these details in order to create a sensationalist news forgetting that they are also ruining peoples lives. The doctor has been under arrest for some years and he did not even have the chance to see her wife gave birth.

  What was the effect of this? Doctors are refusing to be Obstetricians anymore and now choose their patients. Anybody who presents some complications are refused (ambulances going around for hours but no hospital taking them). Sometimes, patients have to take responsibility of their actions. Again the doctor did his best in trying to save the baby and the mother. Its just sad that the mother died because she refused to have her uterus removed. The doctor wanting not to be sued by the patient complied, she died and the father sued the doctor becuase of internal bleeding. A system protecting only the patient sucks!

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  dennis0bauer at 03:15 PM JST - 21st August

  it is good being a doctor in Japan

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  presto345 at 07:04 PM JST - 21st August

  miki writes:

  A system protecting only the patient sucks!

  That's why there is a thing called Informed Consent. Didn't hear this mentioned in this case.

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