Oregon Mother Sues for 68.5 Million Dollars Following Devastating Post-Op Infection

A routine hysterectomy turned into a catastrophic medical ordeal for Trisha Stephens, an Oregon mother of six who survived a severe post-operative infection but suffered life-altering amputations and paralysis. Stephens and her husband have filed a lawsuit seeking 68.5 million dollars in damages, alleging a series of medical failures and delayed treatments that led to permanent disabilities.

The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court against the operating surgeon, Dr. Alvin Nakamura, the medical clinic, Legacy Health hospital network, and other affiliated medical personnel. According to the legal complaint, the medical teams failed to respond appropriately to post-surgical warning signs and delayed critical interventions.

Warning Signs and Medical Delays

According to court documents, Stephens underwent the surgery in October 2024 at Adventist Health Portland. Four days post-surgery, pathological test reports indicated inflammation, yet the lawsuit claims there is no record that the surgeon reviewed the findings, informed the patient, or took corrective action.

Two weeks later, while attending her son's sports game, Stephens experienced sharp abdominal pain followed by bleeding. Over the subsequent days, her condition deteriorated as she reported cramps, fever, diarrhea, and a large blood clot to her clinic. Despite these symptoms, she was allegedly instructed to rest, hydrate, and monitor the bleeding, seeking care only if another large clot appeared.

Sepsis and Permanent Disabilities

Roughly 13 hours after the consultation, following a sharp decline in her health, Stephens arrived at the emergency room at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. The lawsuit states she was already exhibiting signs of severe infection. The couple contends that hospital staff failed to timely recognize the severity of her condition, initially administering antibiotics instead of performing immediate surgical intervention.

Stephens subsequently developed septic shock and multi-organ failure. She was forced to undergo bilateral above-the-knee amputations and the amputation of her right hand, alongside severe damage to her left hand, lips, and tongue. Impaired blood supply to her spinal cord left her paralyzed from the waist down. She spent over three months hospitalized.

"There are days when I still don't know what was harder: almost dying, or waking up and realizing everything that was taken from me," Stephens told local television station KGW.

Her husband Brian, a firefighter, is now assisting in her round-the-clock care as the family confronts complex rehabilitation needs. The lawsuit asserts that diagnostic delays and blood pressure management failures directly contributed to her extensive injuries. Legacy Health declined to comment on the allegations due to ongoing pending litigation.