September 7, 1989: She Wasn't Even Pregnant

Synthia Yvette Dennard

Twenty-four-year-old Synthia Dennard, a married mother of two, went to Biogenetics in Chicago for an abortion and tubal ligation on September 7, 1989. The surgery was performed by Inno Obasi.

Snythia had been described in her high school yearbook as "A pretty young lady with enough smiles to light up the world."

Synthia began to hemorrhage during the surgery. A medical investigation later found that Obasi had "failed to summon help in a timely manner; refused to allow trained and skilled paramedics to attend to Synthia; refused to allow paramedics to transport Synthia to a hospital in a timely manner," and otherwise "allowed Synthia to bleed to death."

Synthia's survivors had to file a court order to keep the facility from destroying her records. An autopsy revealed that instead of removing a section of Synthia's fallopian tube, Obasi had removed a portion of an artery. The autopsy also revealed that Synthia, mother of two, had not been pregnant at the time of her abortion.

The state suspended Obasi's license for five years for cases of malpractice including Synthia's death along with perforating the uterus of Krystal S in 1989 and of Michelle P in 1990. Obasi poo-poohed the board's concerns, saying, "There is a little saying in obstetrics and gynecology that you are not yet a gynecologist until you've perforated a uterus."

Sources: Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 89L 13692; Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Case No. 80-2096; Cook County Autopsy Report Case No. 125 of September 1989; Obasi v. Department 639 N.E.2d 1318 (1994); Illinois Death Certificate No. 617111; "State acts against Loop doctor," Chicago Tribune, October 26, 1989; "Famous Quotes," Chicago Tribune, December 4, 1989; "Revoke doctor's license, board urges," Chicago Tribune, May 3, 1990; 6/13/90