In a gripping case that underscores the complexities of medical care and patient trust, a 72-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against a prominent Florida hospital and several associated medical professionals. The complaint, lodged by Sue Lisa Flaum in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Palm Beach County on February 3, 2025, targets Wellington Regional Medical Center, LLC, and various doctors affiliated with the facility.

The lawsuit arises from events dating back to November 6, 2022, when Ms. Flaum experienced symptoms suggestive of a stroke and was transported to Wellington Regional Medical Center for emergency care. According to the complaint, despite her initial symptoms subsiding upon arrival at the hospital, she was informed by medical staff that imaging revealed a “large mass” on her neck/spine necessitating emergency surgery. The plaintiff alleges that subsequent surgeries were performed without adequately addressing her dangerously high blood pressure or investigating alternative causes for her symptoms. This alleged oversight culminated in a significant cerebral vascular event post-surgery on November 11, leaving Ms. Flaum partially paralyzed and requiring round-the-clock care.

Ms. Flaum’s complaint accuses Wellington Regional Medical Center and its affiliates of negligence under Florida Statutes §766 and §768. She asserts that the defendants failed to meet professional standards of care by misdiagnosing her condition as related to an incidental benign tumor rather than intracranial vascular disease. The complaint further claims that necessary diagnostic procedures were either inadequately performed or ignored altogether. In particular, it is alleged that Drs. Joshua Gabriel Kouri and Monica Tirtarahardja proceeded with neurosurgery based on erroneous conclusions about the mass’s impact on Ms. Flaum’s spinal column.