Suit Filed Against Kmc, Doctor Father Suit Claims Son’s Bowel Not Reconnected Properly

An Orofino, Idaho, man filed suit against Kootenai Medical Center and a Coeur d’Alene surgeon this week, claiming his son died because of their poor care.

James M. Crutcher Jr. was 41 years old when he died after undergoing an operation at KMC by Dr. Stephen Atkinson.

“He went in for a relatively simple procedure and died - that’s the real concern with this case,” said R. Bruce Owens, attorney for James Crutcher Sr. - the dead man’s father.

Rich Hall, attorney for Atkinson, said, “We deny the allegations and believe the medical care provided was appropriate.” He would not comment further.

Crutcher Jr. was admitted to the hospital in July 1994 to have exploratory surgery for an intestinal condition called diverticulitis, Owens said. The condition was not life threatening.

Dr. Atkinson performed a procedure called laparoscopic distal colectomy, according to the lawsuit filed Monday. During that procedure, he cut into the bowel in order to look around, Owens said.

Atkinson was supposed to reconnect the bowel where he made the cut but, “it wasn’t reconnected properly … the bowel contents were spilling into the gut,” Owens said. “He developed an infection in that whole area where all your organs are.”

Crutcher Jr. remained in the hospital for several days in severe pain and suffering a fever, Owens said.

“There were clear signs and indications that there was something wrong with this guy and for days he literally laid in the hospital dying,” Owens said.

Atkinson and hospital officials decided to do another operation to determine what was wrong. But Crutcher Jr. died during the second surgery, Owens said.

“His body was poisoned, it couldn’t fight off the infection and he died,” Owens said.

KMC officials declined to comment.

, DataTimes