What should have been a routine gynecology check up turned into a nightmare for one Ohio woman. After feeling a burning sensation in her private parts, she knew something was wrong. It turned out that the gynecologist mistakenly sprayed her internally with a chemical found in drain cleaner when he meant to use vinegar.
The woman, who only wants to be identified by her first name Laura, said she left the gynecology office in Paragon Health in Summit County, Ohio with unbearable pain and to make matters worse, she can now no longer have children.
"I was the victim of a pretty horrific experience at my gynecologist exam," said Laura, according to WKYC. Laura says she was undergoing what was supposed to be a routine gynecological exam called a colposcopy performed at her doctor's office at Paragon Health in Summit County.
"It was like an open cut with rubbing alcohol being poured into it."
Laura has now filed a lawsuit against Paragon Health associate Dr. John Black and other unnamed employees, according to the lawsuit filing.
Using vinegar is not an uncommon practice when examining a woman's private parts. Laura says her doctor used a spray bottle, similar to the ones used at hair salons with water. According to a lawsuit, Laura says the word "vinegar" was marked on the side.
Unfortunately, the as it turns out, the solution was not diluted vinegar. Laura and her husband Paul say the solution contained the chemical potassium hydroxide, the same chemical that's used in drain cleaner to unclog drains and pipes.
Laura also says Dr Black was not even wearing gloves during the procedure which is standard practice. Dr Black became aware of his error during the procedure when he took a bit of the solution and "tasted it on the tip of his tongue which immediately started to burn," Laura said. In an effort to ease her pain, Dr Black applied a numbing cream inside her private part which did not help the pain, she said.
Laura says the doctor told her: "I hope you're not offended. I just want to let you know I've been married forever, and I don't have any diseases."
She immediately sought help at the emergency room at Akron General Hospital, where doctors found a plastic bottle cap behind Laura's cervix.
Laura and her husband, Paul were hoping to have more children, but now believe she will need a hysterectomy. "This a scenario that no woman would ever, ever imagine," she said.
