Doctors say 13-year old girl is "brain dead" after routine surgery to remove tonsils

[davidn3600]

OAKLAND, Calif. —A 13-year-old Oakland girl will be removed from life support on Tuesday because she's been declared brain dead after she suffered complications following a routine tonsil-removal procedure, her uncle said Monday.

Jahi McMath, an eighth-grade student at the E.C. Reems Academy of Technology and Arts in Oakland, was declared brain dead last Thursday after she went into cardiac arrest while recovering from having her tonsils removed at Children's Hospital Oakland days before.

Under state law, brain death must be determined by two different doctors doing two different sets of tests at least 3 hours apart.

In a meeting with McMath’s family Monday, the head of the hospital’s pediatrics department said that because she had been declared dead under state law, McMath would be pulled from life support.

“We didn't want her to be removed from life support but the decision is out of our hands because it's been declared a legal death,” said Omari Sealey, 27, McMath’s uncle.

http://www.whio.com/news/news/national/girl-left-brain-dead-after-tonsil-surgery-being-ta/ncMkK/

A very sad story.

[JI7]

1. how sad, any info on how this could have happened ?

[riversedge]

2. she started bleeding...

I hope an autopsy will be done:

...............She was supposed to go home the next day, but her grandmother noticed severely bleeding from her nose and mouth after the procedure. She soon went into cardiac arrest.

[newfie11]

3. Wonder what meds she was given

That would be my first question along with an autopsy.

[spinbaby]

4. It happens

Some years ago, a famous author (whose name escapes me at the moment) died of a routine facelift. Last year I had routine surgery done by a surgeon who specialized in that particular surgery and spent three weeks hospitalized with complications. Surgery comes with inherent risk.

[JI7]

5. just saw the mother on Pier's morgan show and she said her daughter was awake

and talking to her after the surgery and had asked for a popsicle . she said it was later when she started bleeding and she said they took a very long time to get a doctor there.

[Demo_Chris]

6. I cannot imagine the pain these parents are experiencing. Losing a child... heartbreaking. nt

[eqfan592]

10. Agreed. Absolute nightmare of a situation. nt

[Pretzel_Warrior]

7. total malpractice

just because they make you sign a waiver doesn't mean you have zero rights. They need an independent doctor to do the autopsy when they do come to accept she is, in fact, dead. I am betting the Dr.'s nicked an artery in a botched procedure.

[Gravitycollapse]

8. She was out of surgery and alert. She didn't die on the operating table.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

9. I'm aware of that. My mom underwent a heart procedure in 2008

and then after a couple of days being at home recovering, she couldn't sleep due to breathing issues. She went to emergency room and they did emergency open heart surgery because the lining surrounding her heart had filled with blood from a slow leaking out of aorta.

So yeah....shit happens on the operating table. I am well aware.

FYI, my mom would not bring suit against the cardiologist despite the rest of us saying he had nearly caused her death.

[riderinthestorm]

11. My sister"coded" during a colonoscopy.

Destroyed her kidneys and liver (had a double transplant 18 months ago).

Any time you go under anaesthesia there's risk.

I feel so badly for this family. ..