AboutPaul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. Expertise I have been a practicing civil trial attorney since 1989 dealing primarily with malpractice issues. I litigate very select medical malpractice cases on behalf of patients or their families. I am a Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. I am also Certified in Injury and Wrongful Death by the Arizona State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.
In addition to my law degree, I received a Master of Arts in Bioethics and a Doctorate of Philosophy involving Medical Ethics. Because I am also an Adjunct Professor in Research and Medical Ethics at a medical school, I routinely consult with physicians and hospitals regarding medical ethics issues in an effort to improve patient care.
I can answer questions dealing with medical ethics principles. I can also respond to questions regarding potential malpractice issues.
Experience Experience in the area I have been a practicing trial attorney since 1989 and I have a masters degree in bioethics and a doctorate of philosophy regarding comparative ethics.
Organizations State Bar of Arizona
State Bar of Colorado (inactive)
District of Columbia Bar (inactive)
Federal Bar
Licensed in Arizona District Court
Licensed in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
licensed in the United States Supreme Court American Bar Association National Board of Trial Advocacy American Association for Justice Arizona Trial Lawyers Association American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Kennedy Institute of Ethics National Association of Realtors
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts 1985
Juris Doctorate 1989
Master of Arts in Bioethics 2004 Doctorate of Philosophy 2006
Awards and Honors Phi Beta Kappa
Multiple Who's Who
Publications A list of my copyrighted publications and presentations is contained at WWW.EXPERTETHICS.COM
Question I had a Mirena IUD inserted on 5/13/08 just following a 6 week check-up for the birth of my 3rd child. Immediately following insertion, I was told my strings could not be located and my cervix must have pulled the strings inside of my uterus. I was told not to worry, that the strings would soften and fall back out of the cervix after time. 4 days after insertion I felt I could feel the Mirena, so I made another appointment to check its location. I was given an ultrasound and told they believed it was in the right location in my uterus. I was again told not to worry about the missing strings. I wanted to give my body a fair chance of adjusting to having the Mirena, so I waited a year to see if the side effects resolved. I called in occasionally throughout the year to check if the status of my missing strings remained a non-issue. After dealing with excessive bleeding (out of 4 weeks in a month I was experiencing 2 weeks of a full period, followed by 1 week of spotting) and the missing strings, I decided to have it removed on 6/17/09. During the appointment for removal, my Dr seemed very concerned that I had never been able to find my strings. After doing a physical exam and being unable to locate the Mirena, he scheduled an ultrasound to locate it. He was present in the room with the ultrasound technician and they believed the Mirena was in my uterus, but would require a hysteroscopy for removal. However, I was told he was only 90 percent sure it was there. At this point I felt skeptical and wondered if I should ask for a CAT scan or X-ray before undergoing surgery, however I trusted my Dr's professional opinion and thought he would make this suggestion if it was warranted. I scheduled the hysteroscopy to take place a few days later. On 6/19/09 I was awoken from the general anesthesia to undergo a CAT scan because the Mirena was not in my uterus. After locating the Mirena in my abdomen, I was told I would need to schedule another surgery on 6/22/09 for a laparoscopy removal. After undergoing the laparoscopy, I was told the Mirena must have perforated my uterus upon insertion and was deeply embedded within my omentum. As you can see, I have great concerns about my quality of care. I feel extremely lucky that I did not become pregnant or have other complications. I believe my provider should cover the costs of his services as well as be responsible for the payment to the hospital and anesthesiologists for the first surgery, if not both. Is it common to misdiagnose the placement of an IUD twice? Should I be seeking assistance from a medical malpractice professional? Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Answer Hoku,
I strongly suggest you speak with a medical malpractice attorney in your area. It is important that this physician understands the consequences and you may also wish to submit a complaint to your State's Board of Medical Examiners.
