Kristie Strange sued Dr. Brian Bigelow and Kaiser Permanente for medical malpractice in July. The action stems from a 2012 partial hysterectomy performed by Bigelow at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Modesto.

Strange claims in her complaint that during the surgery, Bigelow not only punctured her bladder  - causing permanent damage - but also allowed her arm to hang in a blood pressure cuff for the entire procedure.

"During the course of her treatment at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, plaintiff underwent a partial hysterectomy surgery that was scheduled to take one to two hours. During the surgery, defendants lacerated and punctured plaintiff's bladder. Attempting to repair the lacerations and punctures, defendants spent eight to nine hours in surgery but could not properly repair the harm done to plaintiff. Plaintiff was forced to use a catheter for four weeks following the surgery. Plaintiff underwent multiple surgical procedures in an attempt to repair the punctures and lacerations to her bladder," Strange says in her complaint.

She continues: "Furthermore, during surgery defendants allowed plaintiff's left arm, which was fitted and constricted with a blood pressure cuff during surgery, to dangle from the operating bed during the entire procedure. Following the surgery plaintiff did not have feeling in her arm, it was extremely swollen, and when feeling returned plaintiff experienced great pain. Plaintiff lost feeling and movement in her fingers and continues to attend physical therapy in an attempt to regain feeling and movement in her arm. Plaintiff continues to feel pain in her left arm."

Strange says the botched surgery and damage to her arm - ongoing after more than a year - has resulted in pain and suffering, loss of employment and insurance benefits, and a raft of additional medical expenses. She seeks general and economic damages.

She is represented by Aaron Castleton of Merced, Calif.