Dejean v. Wade

44 S.W.3d 141, 2001 WL 224957
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 10, 2001
Docket14-99-00925-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 44 S.W.3d 141 (Dejean v. Wade) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dejean v. Wade, 44 S.W.3d 141, 2001 WL 224957 (Tex. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

PAUL C. MURPHY, Justice (Assigned).

Joel Dejean (“Dejean”), appellant appeals from a take nothing judgment rendered by the trial court in a medical malpractice case brought against Dr. Edward C. Wade and Edward C. Wade, M.D., P.A. (“Wade”), appellees. We reverse and remand.

In April of 1995, Dejean sought treatment for his vision from Dr. Dunn, an ophthalmologist with Eye Associates of Houston, who referred him to Wade. On May 4, 1995, Wade examined Dejean’s eyes and determined that the right eye was permanently damaged by a massive tear in the retina, and Dejean’s left retina was showing signs of thinning, which, if left untreated, could produce the same *143 condition that was present in the right eye. Wade recommended a laser procedure to be performed on Dejearis left eye to prevent the retina from tearing away and detaching. Dejean scheduled an appointment for the laser surgery in Wade’s office on May 19,1995.

On May 19, 1995, Dejean arrived at Wade’s office, and before the surgery, De-jean signed a consent form for laser treatment for lattice degeneration of the left eye.' The consent form warned of, 1) transient blurred vision; 2) transient ocular irritation and inflammation; 3) hemorrhage; 4) complications requiring further treatment; and 5) retinal detachment requiring further surgery. This consent form used by Wade, however, failed to track the requirements as provided by statute. Specifically, laser surgery to the retina is a List A procedure and requires the doctor to warn of partial or total loss of vision. 25 Tex. Admin. Code § 601.2 (2000). No warning of partial or total loss of vision appears anywhere on Wade’s consent form.

In attempting the laser surgery, Wade encountered difficulty, and made the decision to switch to another procedure, a cryopexy. A cryopexy, because it is still retinal surgery, requires the same disclosures as was required for the laser surgery, namely a warning of partial or total loss of vision. In order to perform the cryopexy, a different form of anesthesia is required than was used for the laser surgery. Appellee decided to use a retrobul-bar injection for regional anesthesia. In a retrobulbar injection, a needle is inserted in the eye socket, under the eyeball.

During the retrobulbar injection on De-jean, Wade punctured Dejean’s eye while angling the needle down and again while angling the needle up. The puncture of Dejearis eye resulted in scar tissue, and the shrinking of the scar tissue led to retinal detachment that caused Dejearis blindness in his left eye.

At trial, Dejearis proposed jury question regarding informed consent was submitted to the trial court, and refused. Moreover, after all the evidence was presented, but before jury deliberation, the trial court granted a partial directed verdict in favor of appellee on the issue of informed consent, and submitted only negligent treatment to the jury. The jury did not find appellee negligent, and the trial court entered a final judgment on May 21, 1999.

In his sole point of error, Dejean contends that the trial court erred in granting Wade’s motion for a directed verdict on the issue of informed consent. Specifically, Dejean argues that before Wade could perform any' surgery upon Dejearis left eye, Wade needed to get Dejearis informed consent. Moreover, the Texas Register publishes lists of warnings that Article 4590i of the Medical Liability and Insurance Improvement Act require physicians to provide to their patient when performing List A procedures, which Wade failed to do in this case. Therefore, under article 4590i Dejean contends that a rebut-table presumption was created that Wade was negligent, and the issue of informed consent should have been presented to the jury. We agree.

A directed verdict is proper when:

(1) a defect in the opponent’s pleadings makes them insufficient to support a judgment; (2) the evidence conclusively proves a fact that establishes a party’s right to judgment as a matter of law; or (3) the evidence offered on a cause of action is insufficient to raise an issue of fact.

Tex.R.Civ. P. 301; Knoll v. Neblett, 966 S.W.2d 622, 627 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1998, pet. denied). We consider all *144 of the evidence in a light most favorable to the moving party, disregarding all contrary evidence and inferences. Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 627. If there is any conflicting evidence, an instructed verdict is improper and the issue must go to the jury. White v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 651 S.W.2d 260, 262 (Tex.1983).

The issue of whether a doctor failed to fully inform a patient of the risks of surgery is governed by the Medical Liability and Insurance Improvement Act (“the Act”). Tex.Rev.Civ.StatAnn. art. 4590i, § 6.02 (Vernon Supp.2000); Ocomen v. Rubio, 24 S.W.3d 461, 468 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, no pet.); Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 627. The Act created the Texas Medical Disclosure panel which evaluates all medical and surgical procedures, determines if disclosure of risks is required, and if so, determines how much disclosure is required. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat. Ann. art. 4590i, § 6.04(a); Earle v. Ratliff, 998 S.W.2d 882, 891 (Tex.1999); Ocomen, 24 S.W.3d at 468; Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 627. If the procedure requires some disclosure of the risks involved in the treatment, it is placed on List A. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 4590i, § 6.04; Earle, 998 S.W.2d at 891; Ocomen, 24 S.W.3d at 468; Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 627-28. However, if the Texas Medical Disclosure panel determines that no disclosure is required, the procedure is placed on List B. Tex.Rev.Civ. Stat.Ann. art. 4590i, § 6.04; Earle, 998 S.W.2d at 891; Ocomen, 24 S.W.3d at 468; Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 627-28. Advising a patient of risks in compliance with the statute’s required disclosure creates a re-buttable presumption that the physician was not negligent. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 4590i, § 6.07(a)(1); Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 628. On the other hand, failure to disclose when required, creates a rebutta-ble presumption that the doctor was negligent. TexRev.Civ.StatAnn. art. 4590i, § 6.07(a)(2); Knoll, 966 S.W.2d at 628.

All parties agree that retinal surgery is a List A procedure requiring certain disclosures. Specifically, according to the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel, Wade was required to disclose the risk of partial or total loss of vison. See Tex.Rev.Civ. StatAnn. art. 4590i, § 6.05. This warning of partial or total loss of vision must have been given before any retinal surgery could begin. See id; Brown v. Armstrong, 713 S.W.2d 725

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 S.W.3d 141, 2001 WL 224957, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dejean-v-wade-texapp-2001.