“Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller reportedly launched a medical malpractice lawsuit claiming doctors left a catheter inside her abdomen following spinal surgery in 2020.
Nadine Lewis, attorney for the 59-year-old reality television star, alleged that her client “suffered for years” with doctors failing to “diagnose the source of her pain,” according to the Daily Mail. Miller’s lawsuit included a photo she alleged showed “the outline of a foreign blue object embedded beneath her skin, surrounded by scar tissue.”
Miller accused Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital, Dr. Hooman Melamed, M.D. and. Dr. Paul Dwan, M.D. of medical battery, medical malpractice and professional negligence, the outlet reported. She is after no less than $1.4 million in damages. TMZ reported that Miller outlined other accusations in her suit.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: Abby Lee Miller attends Charmaine Blake’s Oscar Viewing Dinner To Benefit The Faber Ryan Youth Foundation at Amour Ballroom on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by: Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Charmaine Blake PR)
The lawsuit alleged Miller received spinal surgery at Cedars-Sinai Marina hospital in 2020 to treat a condition called Spondylolisthesis and “repeatedly reported ongoing abdominal pain and discomfort to multiple physicians, including defendants” for months and years after, according to the Daily Mail. Miller claimed various physicians “systemically dismissed her chronic pain and let her suffer for years.”
Her lawsuit alleged that “Dr. Melamed, in particular, attributed her symptoms to post-surgical scar tissue and offered no further investigation, no imaging was ordered, including a failure to examine the site of the pain.”
By 2024, the court documents alleged, her “abdominal discomfort had escalated into persistent and debilitating pain, impacting her quality of life on a daily basis.”
While requesting medical help for an unrelated issue June 2024 at St. John’s Hospital, her lawsuit claimed a doctor applied pressure to her abdomen. This allegedly resulted in her “scream[ing] very loudly in pain.”
“The affected area of the skin immediately became red, inflamed, and visibly irritated,” the documents read, according to the Daily Mail.
Lewis issued a statement claiming that the “systemic minimization of women’s suffering has had fatal consequences in our society.”
“Abby’s case is a chilling reminder: even when women are vocal and visibly in distress, their pain is still not believed,” she said, according to the Daily Mail. “As a paraplegic woman, Abby is advocating for herself and others in a medical system that has repeatedly failed them.”
The catheter was allegedly removed following “an emergency procedure.”
A spokesperson for Cedars-Sinai issued a statement to Daily Mail. “Cedars-Sinai cannot comment on pending legal matters. Also, due to federal and state privacy laws, Cedars-Sinai cannot discuss any patient’s medical treatment,” the statement said. (RELATED: Billy Joel Diagnosed With Brain Disorder)
“However, the care and safety of our patients, staff and visitors are always Cedars-Sinai’s top priorities. We are dedicated to ensuring that we meet the highest standards of care for all those we serve,” the spokesperson continued.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
