Misdiagnosis and Incorrect Surgery Disables Woman, Suit Claims
7-27-2018 23:53:00


TOWSON, Md. (CN) – A Kaiser doctor misdiagnosed her foot pain and then performed the wrong surgeries on her feet, leaving her disabled, a Kaiser plan member claims in her Baltimore City Circuit Court suit.

Othea Lee sues Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., and Carron Grant, D.P.M., for medical malpractice.

Lee says she went to see Dr. Grant for foot pain. He diagnosed bilateral plantar fasciitis and began conservative therapy, but her pain was not relieved. Grant had MRI studies done on both feet, which revealed that she only had mild plantar fasciitis in her left foot and no plantar fasciitis in her right foot.

Nevertheless, and without considering a different diagnosis, Grant performed plantar fasciotomy surgeries on both her feet. After the surgeries, Lee says she had to return to see Grant due to “unbearable pain related to her post-surgical dressings being applied in too tight a manner.” 

The surgeries did not relieve her pain and she was unable to return to work. Lee said she had to seek treatment elsewhere, and was diagnosed with bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome. However, even after undergoing the tarsal tunnel release procedures, she continued to have chronic pain due to the negligent treatment she received from the defendants, including the improperly applied dressings, which may have worsened the tarsal tunnel syndrome.

According to the suit, Lee’s pain is permanent and she is too disabled to work. If defendants “had properly evaluated, assessed and diagnosed Ms. Lee’s bilateral heel pain, and performed appropriate diagnostic studies, she would have been diagnosed with bilateral entrapment of her posterior tibial nerve and/or the lateral plantar nerve, undergone release procedures of the affected nerves, and obtained relief from her underlying heel pain, without the need for further surgery, rehabilitation and without permanent pain, deficits, and disability in her feet,” the suit states.

Lee seeks compensatory damages, interest and legal costs. She is represented by Michael S. Warshaw, of Royston, Mueller, McLean & Reid, LLP, in Towson, Maryland.
24-C-18-003903