Maine Woman Wins $17 Million After Bladder Accidentally Removed in Surgery

Emily Mitchell never imagined a routine operation to take out an ovarian cyst would end up turning her life upside‑down. In the spring of 2023 she went into Northern Light Health’s Inland Hospital in Skowhegan, expecting a short stay and a quick recovery.

Instead, after the laparoscopic surgery she was left with excruciating pain, an inability to urinate and a sense that something was terribly wrong. The doctors initially chalked it up to post‑operative swelling, but the pain didn’t subside. Within days, Mitchell was transferred to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where a second surgical team made a shocking discovery: most of her bladder had been removed along with the cyst.

Pathology reports later confirmed that the tissue taken out in the first operation contained fragments of bladder wall. Mitchell never signed any consent form that covered such a drastic removal, a point that would become central to the lawsuit filed in 2025.

For eight long months she lived with bilateral nephrostomy tubes draining urine directly from her kidneys, battling repeated urinary‑tract infections and kidney infections. The constant trips to the hospital, endless rounds of antibiotics and the sheer physical discomfort took a toll on her body and her spirit.

Eventually she was referred to a specialist in Massachusetts who performed a complex reconstructive surgery, fashioning a neobladder from a segment of her small intestine. The procedure, while life‑saving, was anything but simple, and the recovery has been a marathon of physical therapy and follow‑up appointments.

When the case went before a Kennebec County jury in July 2026, the verdict was clear and historic: Northern Light Inland Hospital and its parent system, Northern Light Health, were ordered to pay $17 million in damages. The sum covers past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress and the permanent impairment she now endures.

“For Emily and her family, this is the closure they’ve needed for a long time,” said Susan Faunce of Berman & Simmons, the plaintiffs’ counsel. “They can finally begin to move forward, knowing what happened to them was seen, heard, and acknowledged.”

While ovarian cysts are common and often harmless, surgeons must weigh the risks when a cyst grows or causes symptoms. The Cleveland Clinic reminds patients that surgery is usually recommended only when the cyst is symptomatic or enlarging, and that the type of procedure should match the cyst’s size and appearance on imaging.

Emily Mitchell’s case serves as a stark reminder that even routine‑appearing surgeries can go terribly wrong, and that patients deserve clear communication, proper consent and accountability when medical errors occur.