Mom of 6 Loses Both Legs and Hand After Routine Surgery Goes Horribly Wrong

An Oregon mother of six who expected to recover from a routine hysterectomy instead endured a devastating medical crisis that left her without both legs, her right hand and the ability to walk.

Now, 46-year-old Trisha Stevens and her husband, Brian, are suing several Portland-area doctors and hospital operator Legacy Health for $68.5 million, alleging that medical negligence allowed a serious infection to spread until it was too late to prevent catastrophic injuries.

Stevens underwent a hysterectomy on October 4, 2024, at Adventist Health Portland. The procedure was performed by Dr. Alvin Nakamura, and she initially expected to return to her normal life as a busy mother.

But according to the lawsuit, warning signs emerged shortly after surgery.

Pathology results available four days later reportedly showed inflammation. Stevens alleges that Nakamura never reviewed those findings, notified her or took appropriate steps to investigate.

Approximately two weeks after the operation, Stevens experienced sudden abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding while attending one of her children’s sporting events.

She contacted Nakamura’s medical practice, Bridgetown Medical Group, reporting continued bleeding, a blood clot approximately the size of a baseball, a low-grade fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramping.

According to the complaint, she was advised through a nurse to monitor her bleeding and return if she passed another large clot.

Her condition rapidly deteriorated.

Later that night, Stevens arrived at the emergency department of Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center with dangerously low blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat and heavy bleeding.

Doctors diagnosed inflammation of the abdominal lining, kidney injury and dangerous metabolic complications. She was subsequently found to have bacteria in her bloodstream and septic shock, a life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to an infection can cause organ failure.

The lawsuit alleges that hospital staff failed to promptly recognize and treat the infection, even after an examination reportedly revealed that tissue at her surgical closure had separated and appeared inflamed.

Stevens’ condition continued worsening as the infection spread through her body.

Over the following weeks, doctors were forced to amputate both legs above the knee and her right hand at the wrist. She also lost her left thumb and portions of her fingers.

The damage extended even further.

Stevens suffered severe tissue death that affected parts of her lips and tongue, along with extensive hair loss and spinal cord damage that left her paralyzed from the lower back down.

“I came home having lost both of my legs and my right hand,” Stevens told Portland television station KGW, describing a life almost unrecognizable from the one she had before surgery.

Her husband, Brian, has since become her primary caregiver, helping her navigate everyday activities that she once handled independently.

For Stevens, some of the most heartbreaking consequences involve her children.

Before the ordeal, she could walk into their bedrooms, comfort them after nightmares, prepare meals and participate in family activities without assistance.

Now, even getting outside can present an overwhelming challenge.

She explained that her family’s home was never designed for wheelchair accessibility, making ordinary obstacles, including the gravel driveway, difficult to navigate.

Stevens said one of the hardest parts of her recovery has been watching her family continue with daily life while she struggles to participate.

“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 KGW.

The family’s medical malpractice lawsuit accuses Nakamura and Bridgetown Medical Group of failing to properly evaluate her symptoms and arrange emergency treatment when she reported complications.

It also alleges that physicians and staff at Legacy Mount Hood failed to respond appropriately to her worsening infection and blood pressure problems.

The complaint seeks $68.5 million in damages, including compensation for medical expenses, future care, permanent disabilities and the profound impact on her family’s life.

Legacy Health has declined to comment on the pending litigation. The allegations have not been proven in court, and no legal determination of medical negligence has been made.

Although severe complications like septic shock are uncommon following a hysterectomy, postoperative infections can become dangerous when bacteria enter the bloodstream. Warning signs can include fever, worsening abdominal pain, unusual bleeding, confusion and rapid breathing.

Stevens hopes her lawsuit will bring accountability for what happened and help ensure other patients receive timely attention when complications arise.

Despite everything she has endured, the mother remains determined to regain as much independence as possible.

“I did not fight this hard simply to remain alive while life happens around me,” Stevens said. “I survived because I desperately want to live it and God saved me!”