Winnipeg man sues oral surgeon, claims dental surgery caused brain damage

The statement of claim says the infections and brain damage “were caused by the negligence” of the surgeon. (source: Marlynn Justine Smith/Facebook)

A Winnipeg man is suing an oral surgeon who performed a dental extraction on him, alleging the area became infected and was not treated properly, and eventually caused him brain damage.

Mason Woods, 23, went in to the Oral Surgery Group of Winnipeg on Feb. 27 to have his wisdom tooth extracted.

According to the statement of claim filed in court, Woods never received any antibiotics before or after the surgery, which caused the area in his mouth where the tooth was removed to become infected.

“He’s in a situation that should not have occurred,” Woods’ lawyer, Robert Tapper told CTV News. “His future life as a 23-year-old is impacted dramatically.”

READ MORE: Winnipeg man on life support after tooth removal surgery

Due to the intense pain Woods said he experienced post-surgery, the claim states he was in contact with the surgeon, who he believes failed to “adequately check him for post-operative infection”, “react to the emergent circumstances” and “refer him in an urgent fashion for a CT scan”.

“This could have been avoided,” Tapper added. “Should standard of care violations be found when antibiotics were not prescribed?”

The statement of claim also says the infections and brain damage “were caused by the negligence” of the surgeon.

None of these allegation have been proven in court.

WOODS' STATEMENT OF CLAIM:

The lawsuit said that after receiving his procedure on Feb. 27, Woods spent the next several days suffering “severe pain and swelling”.

On March 2, his mother called the Oral Surgery Group to inform them of his discomfort, and he was given a prescription of the anti-inflammatory drug, Naproxen.

Then on March 3, he was seen by the defendant’s colleague, as he was presenting with “pain, swelling and a bad taste in his mouth”. He was prescribed with the antibiotic Clindamycin.

A scheduled appointment was made with the defendant and Woods for March 4, where he was diagnosed with a “buccal space infection”. The surgeon then performed an “incision and drainage of the infected site” and prescribed Woods with intravenous antibiotics to be administered at Seven Oaks General Hospital – where he remained until March 6.

Woods then says in the claim that on March 9 he had an “increase in facial pain, as well as headaches, nausea, and chills”, so he contacted the surgeon, who requested a CT scan.

Finally, on March 10, due to the severity of his pain, Woods went on his own to Seven Oaks. He received a CT scan which showed he had an abscess in the area of the extraction.

He was then taken to Health Science Centre where he had emergency surgery. The lawsuit says he also received multiple neurological surgeries as well to help relieve pressure on his brain and extract another tooth that had subsequently become infected

Woods was in the ICU at HSC until March 20, and remained at the centre until April 8. He was then admitted to the Acquired Brain Injury Program at Riverview Health Centre, where he stayed until May 26.

CTV News has tried contacting the oral surgeon Woods has filed the lawsuit against and is waiting to hear back.