Hysterectomy Malpractice Lawsuit Filed Against Virginia Doctor

A Virginia doctor faces a medical malpractice lawsuit for perforating a woman’s large intestine and puncturing her bladder during a hysterectomy. 

Miriam Cenedese filed the complaint last month against the Hampton VA Medical Center in federal court in Virginia, alleging that Dr. David Ostman was grossly negligent for using his hands to tear open a hole in a her large intestine and bladder. According to a report by The Virginia-Pilot, the lawsuit came after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rejected an administrative claim for compensation by Cenedese.

According to the complaint, Cenedese went to Dr. Ostman for a hysterectomy in 2008, but he allegedly botched the procedure by deciding to conduct a temporary ileostomy with his hands instead of a cutting instrument. An ileostomy is a surgical hole in the abdomen that allows body waste to be voided into a pouch. The lawsuit claims Dr. Ostman ripped open holes in Cenedese intestine and bladder with his hands because he failed to identify the correct parts of her anatomy.

This is not the first time Dr. Ostman has faced legal trouble surrounding the care provided to patients.

In 2004, the Virginia Board of Medicine issued a reprimand against Dr. Ostman for writing hundreds of prescriptions for a “Lotion” that was designed to boost the sex drive of women. He used a personal website to take orders for the topical lotion, which is loaded with testosterone and not approved for use as a female sex drive enhancer by the FDA.

The board also determined that Dr. Ostman ran a so-called “pill mill” from his office; handing out thousands of doses of Vicodin, Xanax, Valium and appetite suppressant pills without a pharmacists’ license. The board ruled that he posed a danger to the health and welfare of his patients, but his license was restored to unrestricted status in 2005.