RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesA Maine woman has been awarded $17 million after a catastrophic surgical error resulted in the removal of her bladder during a procedure intended to address a benign ovarian cyst.
The damages were awarded to Emily Mitchell last Thursday by a Kennebec County jury following a two-week medical malpractice trial against Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health, according to her attorneys on Friday. The verdict is reportedly the largest medical malpractice award in Kennebec County.
The devastating procedure occurred on March 1, 2023, and resulted in what Mitchell’s attorneys described as an irreversible injury with extreme health repercussions that are still ongoing.
"According to evidence presented at trial, what began as a routine gynecologic surgery resulted in one of the most devastating surgical errors imaginable," Berman & Simmons said in a statement.
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Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville officially closed in May 2025 after serving the community for more than 80 years, according to the state.
The healthcare system cited "immense pressure of higher operational costs, unsustainably low reimbursement rates, and a tight labor market" as factors behind the closure in a statement issued that month.
According to the attorneys, Michell scheduled the surgery after imaging showed that a benign ovarian cyst had significantly increased in size.
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Following the procedure, Mitchell’s condition worsened, and she was transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery.
Surgeons later discovered that her bladder had been removed during the original operation, and pathology confirmed the tissue taken during the procedure was "full-thickness bladder tissue," according to her attorneys.
The damage appeared irreversible, as "surgeons determined there was insufficient healthy bladder tissue remaining to reconstruct or repair the organ," according to Berman & Simmons.
For the next eight months, Mitchell relied on bilateral nephrostomy tubes to drain urine directly from her kidneys. The treatment involves thin plastic tubes surgically placed through the skin of the lower back and into both kidneys, allowing urine to flow into external bags attached to the exposed ends of the tubes.
During that time, Mitchell reportedly experienced recurring urinary tract infections, kidney infections, multiple medical procedures and ongoing complications.
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She was eventually referred to Massachusetts for complex reconstructive surgery , where surgeons used a portion of her small intestine to create a new bladder, known as a neobladder.
Mitchell’s attorneys said she "continues to live with the permanent effects of those injuries" nearly three years after the original operation.
She must insert a catheter multiple times a day to drain the neobladder and requires ongoing medical treatment from specialists related to the loss of her bladder.
After hearing the evidence, the jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health liable and awarded Mitchell damages covering past and future medical expenses, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and permanent impairment.
"For our clients, this isn't just a legal victory—it's the closure they've needed for a long time," attorney Susan A. Faunce said in a statement.
"They can finally begin to move forward, knowing that what happened to them was seen, heard, and acknowledged. This verdict won't undo the pain our clients have endured, but it does offer something they haven't had in a long time: closure. They can finally put this chapter behind them."
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