Court Opinion

ID: 9623885
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:45:35.992041+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:51:26.670943
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
The sole issue in this medical malpractice case is whether the evidence was sufficient to support an award of punitive damages. In my view, the evidence was sufficient. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.
“ ‘OCGA § 51-12-5 permits a jury to award punitive (exemplary) damages “(i)n a tort action in which there are aggravating circumstances, in either the act or the intention . . .” It is well established *792that that language means such damages “cannot be imposed in any case unless there is willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or that entire want of care which would raise the presumption of a conscious indifference to consequences. (Cit.)” (Cit.)’ Rossville Apts. Co. v. Britton, 178 Ga. App. 194 (1) (342 SE2d 504) (1986). ‘ “ ‘The latter expression (conscious indifference to consequences) relates to an intentional disregard of the rights of another, knowingly or wilfully, disregarding such rights.’ ” (Cits.) “ ‘Mere negligence, although gross, will not alone authorize the recovery of punitive damages.’ ” (Cits.)’ Associated Health Systems v. Jones, 185 Ga. App. 798, 802 (2) (366 SE2d 147) (1988).” Petrolane Gas Svc. v. Eusery, 193 Ga. App. 860, 861 (389 SE2d 355).
“ ‘Ordinarily the imposition of punitive damages is an issue for the jury. However, the controlling criteria is whether there is any evidence to support such an award. (Cit.)’ Associated Health Systems, supra at 802 (2).” Petrolane Gas Svc. v. Eusery, supra at 862.
In the case sub judice, the evidence of negligence and causation was conflicting. The jury was authorized, however, to glean the following facts: Plaintiff underwent cataract surgery on her right eye at the hands of the opthalmologist. She was the first case of the day.
General anesthesia was administered by the nurse anesthetist under the supervision of the anesthesiologist. The nurse anesthetist was an employee of the anesthesiologist’s professional corporation.
One of the complications which can arise during eye surgery is vitreous extrusion. This can occur as a result of various factors, including a rise in intraocular pressure after incision.
A rise in intraocular pressure can accompany a rise in blood pressure. It can also occur when an eye surgery patient moves on the operating table. Thus, it is imperative for an eye surgery patient’s blood pressure to remain in the lower ranges and for the patient to remain immobile once the eye has been opened surgically.
It was the responsibility of the anesthesiologist and the nurse anesthetist to insure that plaintiff’s blood pressure remained stable and that plaintiff did not move during surgery. These goals were to be accomplished by the administration of anesthetic agents.
One of the anesthetic agents which plaintiff was administered during surgery was Forane. There was evidence that the nurse anesthetist neglected to check the level of Forane in the anesthesia machine before administering anesthesia to plaintiff.
After plaintiff was put to “sleep,” the ophthalmologist made an incision in her right eye and removed the cataract. Just before the lens implant was to be inserted, plaintiff became anesthetically “light.”
An expert testified that when a patient becomes “light” anesthetically, she undergoes an “emergence phenomenon” and shows “signs *793of waking up.” These signs include a quickening pulse, increased blood pressure, eye pressure elevation and movement.
Decided July 16, 1991
Reconsideration denied July 31, 1991
Love & Willingham, Daryll Love, Kimberly L. Woodland, for appellants.
Williams & Henry, Benjamin S. Williams, Sullivan, Hall, Booth & Smith, Rush S. Smith, Jr., for appellee.
When the patient became anesthetically “light,” she suffered a loss of vitreous. At that point, it became necessary for the ophthalmologist to perform a vitrectomy and he could no longer insert the lens implant. Ultimately, plaintiff developed cystoid macula edema (a swelling of the nerve fiber in the back of the eye) due to vitreous extrusion. The result was a loss of vision in plaintiff’s right eye.
There was expert testimony that plaintiff became anesthetically “light” because the anesthesia machine ran out of Forane in the midst of plaintiff’s surgery. This would not have occurred if the anesthesia machine had been checked before plaintiff’s surgery began.
The anesthesiologist admitted that the Forane should not have run out during plaintiff’s surgery and that the failure to check the level of Forane in the anesthesia machine before plaintiff underwent surgery was a “complete violation of the standard of care.” The ophthalmologist likened the failure to check the level of Forane before surgery to failing to check the level of gas before flying a private plane.
In Hodges v. Effingham County Hosp. Auth., 182 Ga. App. 173, 175 (2) (355 SE2d 104), this Court held that the failure of the hospital’s nurses to convey knowledge of a patient’s heart condition and medication to a physician “evinces that entire want of care which would raise the presumption of a conscious indifference to the consequences.” Id. Accordingly, this Court found the evidence in that case to be sufficient to support the jury’s award of punitive damages.
In my view, the jury was entitled to conclude that the failure to check the level of anesthesia before plaintiff underwent eye surgery also “evinces that entire want of care which would raise the presumption of a conscious indifference to the consequences.” Hodges v. Effingham County Hosp. Auth., 182 Ga. App. 173, 175 (2), supra. It follows that the jury’s award of punitive damages should stand.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Banke, Judge Pope and Judge Cooper join in this dissent.