Tampa, FL -- (SBWire) -- 12/28/2017 --A Chicago jury awarded $3 million to the family of a man who died of a blood clot 50 days after undergoing leg surgery.
The lawsuit accused doctors at Elmhurst Hospital of failing to properly prevent, diagnose, and treat Edward Smolinski when he presented symptoms of a pulmonary embolism.
Greg Grambor said post-surgical blood clots, while common, are highly preventable. Grambor is president of Vascular PRN, a national distributor of pneumatic compression therapy devices for the prevention of blood clots and other ailments.
"Recent surgery is a leading risk factor for fatal blood clots," Grambor said. "Pneumatic compression is a highly effective preventative therapy with high patient compliance rates. It's not clear whether the therapy was employed in this case, but doctors are increasingly turning to it to prevent exactly this sort of death."
Smolinski became a patient at Elmhurst Hospital when he ruptured a tendon in his leg in the summer of 2011. After surgery, he was sent home the same day. Six weeks later, during physical therapy at Elmhurst, he complained of shortness of breath and chest pain, and later experienced leg swelling. Eight days later, he was found dead in his home.
The family settled their separate case against a doctor who treated Smolinski for $1.5 million.
Smolinski, 52, was the father of two high school age children.
"My hope is that intermittent pneumatic compression, as part of a comprehensive clot prevention strategy, can help prevent needless deaths and make surgical recovery far less dangerous," Grambor said.
Family of Fatal Blood Clot Victim Awarded $3 Million