I went for surgery for back pain and woke up paralyzed from the neck down thanks to bungling doctors
A man who underwent back surgery has been left completely paralyzed by clumsy doctors.
James Spangler, 54, was told the surgery would fix burning pain in his neck and pins and needles in his limbs caused by a condition called spinal stenosis.
But when he woke up after the three-hour operation at WellSpan York Hospital in Pennsylvania, the father of three found he couldn’t move anything but his toes.
Scans later revealed that doctors had incorrectly placed screws in his spinal cord, which controls movement in the body.
He has now been awarded $24 million in compensation after being forced to quit his job as a mechanic at Harley Davidson, which he had held for 26 years, requiring his wife Wendy to care for him 24/7.
James Spangler, 58, pictured after the botched operation that left him unable to move anything but his toes
Family lawyer Iddo Harel Ross Feller Caseytold DailyMail.com: ‘He went from being a mechanic the day before to being paralyzed the day after.
“Mr. Spangler is the kind of man who worked very, very hard all his life in manual jobs and never took anything from anyone.”
‘But now he needs the help of his wife Wendy to do everything, even simple tasks like going to the toilet.
“He can’t get up and walk to another room, he can brush his teeth now, but he can’t put toothpaste on his toothbrush. This is not just physical torture, this is emotional torture too.”
He added: “Their lives have been so difficult over the last five years, and what his wife has done for him, I can’t promise you that my wife or any woman would do the same. She took care of him 24/7.”
Mr Spangler suffered from a common condition called cervical spinal stenosis, in which the inside of the vertebrae in the neck tightens and compresses the spinal cord, causing pain.
About 12 million people in the U.S. have the condition, which is treated by a procedure that involves cutting open the neck and vertebrae to relieve pressure.
Doctors also screw a metal plate into the vertebrae during this procedure to protect the open area.
Mr Spangler, who is now 58 years old, had been suffering from pain, which felt like a ‘burning’ sensation, for three months before he went to the doctor in late 2019.
He was diagnosed in September and had surgery the following month.
His wife Wendy, pictured above with him, has been his ‘rock’ and supported him day and night for five years after the operation
He repeatedly expressed his concerns to the doctors after waking up from surgery, but it took another 10 hours to get an MRI and then another 12 hours to get back to the operating room.
He has since undergone years of therapy and has now successfully regained the ability to move his right hand slightly and walk up to a block.
But he still needs constant help with daily activities, such as eating, going to the toilet, cutting vegetables and brushing his teeth.
The family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and their neurosurgeon Dr. in April 2021. Joseph Krzeminski, who is now retired.
Their case was heard during an eight-day trial over the past two weeks, after which it took the jury just an hour to unanimously find the hospital and surgeon negligent.
The family has received $23.87 million, which will go toward 24-hour care for Mr. Spangler.
Mr Harel said: ‘This case underlines the serious responsibility healthcare providers have to their patients.
“James Spangler trusted his neurosurgeon, and that trust was tragically broken in the operating room.
Mr. Spangler was described as a man who had worked hard all his life and never asked anyone for anything. He is pictured above in a family photo
“The jury’s quick and unanimous decision reflects the profound impact this negligence has had on Mr. Spangler and his family – and the need for accountability in our health care system.”
A spokesperson for WellSpan said in a statement: “We are disappointed in the verdict given the evidence presented.
‘The appeal options are being investigated. Wellspan Health remains fully committed to providing safe, high-quality care for all of our patients.”
Although an appeal has been proposed, it is expected that this is unlikely to happen as Dr Krzeminski said during the trial that he would not wish what happened to Mr Spangler on his worst enemy.
The family cried in court as the verdict was read and thanked their legal team for their help. One of their sons was present at the case, despite his parents asking him not to.