PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon mother of six has filed a $68.5 million medical malpractice lawsuit alleging that doctors failed to detect and treat a post-surgical infection that led to the amputation of both of her legs, most of one hand, portions of her lips and tongue, and left her paralyzed from the lower back down.
Trisha Stevens, 46, underwent a robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy and removal of her fallopian tubes on Oct. 4, 2024, according to the complaint filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The surgery was performed by Dr. Alvin Nakamura. The suit names Nakamura, Bridgetown Medical Group, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Legacy Health, and Drs. Gregory Eilers and Robert Azar as defendants.
The complaint says pathology results four days after surgery showed inflammation, but there is no record that Nakamura reviewed the results or contacted Stevens. Eighteen days after the procedure, Stevens went to the emergency room at Legacy Mount Hood with abdominal pain, bleeding and other symptoms. The suit alleges that doctors examined her surgical site, noted it looked raw and infected, but did not test for infection or recommend immediate surgery. She was later diagnosed with bacteremia and septic shock.
Over the following weeks, surgeons amputated both of her legs above the knee, her right hand at the wrist, much of her left hand, and portions of her lips and tongue, the complaint says. She was hospitalized for more than three months and remains paralyzed from the lower back down. She requires daily wound care for pressure ulcers.
“My left hand was left unusable after the necrosis. I lost parts of my lips and tongue, and I live with paralysis in a body that no longer responds the way it once did,” Stevens said, according to reports of her statements. She has also said she fought to survive to return to her children but sometimes still feels as though she is living on the edge of the life she fought to reclaim.
The lawsuit seeks $2.5 million for past medical costs, $6 million for future medical costs, $55 million for the “profound and permanent diminution” of Stevens’ enjoyment of life, and $5 million for her husband Brian Stevens’ loss of consortium. Brian Stevens is a Portland firefighter who has returned to work and serves as her primary caregiver when off duty, according to the couple’s attorney, Fraser.
Legacy Health declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. The other defendants either could not be reached or did not respond to requests for comment. The allegations in the complaint have not been tested in court. No trial date has been set.
The case is one of several large medical malpractice filings in Multnomah County in recent years. Oregon law caps noneconomic damages in some medical cases, but the complaint seeks the full amount without addressing the cap. The outcome will depend on whether the plaintiffs can prove that the defendants’ care fell below the standard and that the alleged delays caused the injuries described. Those questions have not been resolved.
