IOWA CITY, Iowa - A surgical towel and staple left inside a Burlington cancer patient after an operation at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will cost a $1.2 million settlement.
46 year old Joseph Caskey sued the state and UI physicians Sam Brancato and Paul Kogan in April
According to the lawsuit, pain and discomfort brought Caskey back to UIHC for exploratory surgery where doctors found a towel nearly 2 feet by over 1 foot holding a staple in his abdomen.
The state’s general fund will cover half the $1.2 million payout, with the other $600,000 coming from the UI Physicians group
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports neither Brancato nor Kogan are current UIHC employees, according to UI online databases.