1981: Abortion staff mistake causes loss of fingers

"Nadine" went to Women's Medical Center of Los Angeles on December 5, 1981. She said later that the consent for her abortion was "obtained solely and directly as the result of certain false, misleading, deceitful, and fraudulent statements and representations and concealment of facts on the part of the defendants." Had it not been for the misrepresentations by clinic staff, Nadine said, she never would have consented to the abortion. The abortion was performed by Emmanuel Brandeis. When the intravenous drugs were administered, damage was done to Nadine's nerves and tissues in her right hand. She had to have portions of her fingers amputated as a result. The consent forms had never mentioned amputation as a potential complication. (LA County Superior Court Case No. WEC073497

Nadine is not the only patient who required amputations as a result of something going wrong with an abortion. Patient "Lina," age 22, filed suit after an abortion performed by Oscar Gonzalez on April 1, 1985. Gonzales injected her with phenegren for the abortion, and sent her home afterward although her hand was swelling and developing a rash. When Lina's arm swelled and turned purple she went to the emergency room. Her arm developed gangrene and had to be amputated. Gonzalez reportedly admitted he may have misinjected the medication. (Houston Chronicle 7-18-85, Suburbia Reporter 7-24-85)

We also received reports at Life Dynamics of one woman who had to have a leg amputated due to post-abortion sepsis, and another woman who lost both feet and both arms below the elbow as a result of post-abortion sepsis. These women did not complain to the medical board or file suit, and did not wish to discuss their cases with us.

The most high-profile abortion amputation case is that of Carolina Gutierrez, who died after multiple amputations for post-abortion sepsis.