More and more doctors have started performing tonsillectomies as a way to treat sleep apnea in their patients. However, some medical professionals are saying that these procedures are too risky to perform on certain populations because there has not been enough research done to prove their effectiveness.

A thirteen-year-old California girl underwent a tonsillectomy earlier in December as a way to treat her sleep apnea. However, only a few weeks after her surgery she developed severe nosebleeds, as well as bleeding from her mouth. She went into cardiac arrest, and shortly after, was pronounced brain dead.

According to an article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website, Dr. David Goodman of Dartmouth’s School of Medicine is a big critic of tonsillectomies as a form of treating sleep apnea. He believes that there simply hasn’t been enough research done to prove their effectiveness. Instead of immediately recommending a tonsillectomy, Dr. Goodman recommends a sleep study to determine the best course of action; at least until more research has been completed.

However, these recommendations do nothing to soothe the spirits of the family who lost this thirteen-year-old girl. As your St. Louis personal injury attorney, we understand that losing a loved one because of a poor medical decision is difficult. If you require legal representation, we are available to help you. Contact us today for more information on your rights.