Medical student Larissa Moraes de Carvalho, 31, has been in a vegetative state for more than a year after undergoing jaw correction surgery. The patient was admitted to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Juiz de Fora, in Zona da Mata, on March 16, 2023 and, since then, her life has completely changed.
Ricardo Carvalho, Larissa’s father, told G1 that the surgery was recommended by dentists since she was little. According to the family member, the young woman underwent the “crossbite” correction procedure — that is, when the mandible moves forward in relation to the upper jaw. She was then taken to the room, after passing through the post-anesthesia recovery room, but arrived at the resting place already in cardiorespiratory arrest.
“Larissa arrived at the room already unconscious, when they asked me to leave quickly”, declared the student’s father. “Minutes later, many professionals began to arrive. They were the worst moments of our lives, as no one gave us answers about what happened during the surgery.”
According to family reports, Larissa remained in cardiorespiratory arrest for 17 minutes before receiving medical assistance and the incident resulted in a serious brain injury.
Larissa’s mother, Maria Cristina de Carvalho, reveals that her daughter is unable to communicate. At certain moments, it seems like she is in another world. “Sometimes, she seems to look for sound sources. When we call her, she turns her neck and looks. It seems that at some moments she is in another world. At others, she seems more present, with her gaze. She doesn’t move, she doesn’t move .”
Maria Cristina de Carvalho clarifies that the excessive growth of her daughter’s jaw began in her adolescence. “She had difficulty chewing because her back teeth didn’t come into contact with food,” she explained. “She avoided eating meat, as some of her teeth were unable to chew the food. Aesthetically, this didn’t bother her.”
The family suspects that Larissa may have suffered some post-operative reaction, a risk that was not explained in the consent for the surgery. “The surgical record in the medical record does not detail the steps of the procedure”, said the father.
According to family members, the consent form signed by Larissa did not mention the risks of general anesthesia or the possibility of cardiorespiratory arrest with consequences. Furthermore, after the procedure the hospital reported that the operation was successful and that what happened to Larissa was fatal. However, when parents requested security camera footage to confirm, they were told it would only be released through legal action.
Faced with the difficulty of accessing the answers, the family filed a complaint with the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais. In September 2023, prosecutor Jorge Tobias de Souza ordered the Civil Police to open an investigation and forward the case to the Regional Council of Medicine of Minas Gerais.
In a note, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Juiz de Fora informed that, once action has already been filed in court, in respect of due legal process, the Hospital will not make any comments on the matter outside of the court records. “We reiterate our commitment to transparency and quality in the service provided to the entire community throughout our history, which spans almost two centuries”, concludes the note.
The O TEMPO report contacted the Regional Council of Medicine of Minas Gerais and is awaiting a position on the case. The space remains open for demonstrations.
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Tags: #31yearold man lived vegetative state year jaw surgery
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