The life and recovery of a young American hero, injured by one of his own and left to die.
This blog details the life of Senior Airman Colton Read along with the struggles and triumphs of everyday life of being an double amputee due to military medical malpractice and negligence. Come along with us on our journey of life through the highs and the lows.
Airman loses limbs as a result of routine gallbladder surgery
Airman Colton Read
Travis Air Force Base, July 9, 2009 — A mistake during "routine" gallbladder surgery drastically changed the life of 20-year-old Airman Colton Read forever.
Active duty Airman Colton Read, stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California, made the 2 hour drive to Travis Air Force Base, California for what was supposed to be "routine" laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gallbladder removal surgery, under the care of Dr. Kullada O. Pichakron. The young Airman was preparing to deploy, when he suddenly came down with abdominal pains so bad he was unable to eat or drink. The surgery was anything but routine.
Unbeknownst to Airman Read, a resident, Dr. Ryan Schutter would be performing the surgery with Dr. Pichakron overseeing. Dr. Ryan Schutter, inserted the first trocard into Airman Read, just below the belly button. After inserting the first trocard, Pichakron "became concerned" with the amount of pressure that Schutter used when inserting the trocard. Dr. Pichakron went on to insert several more trocards into Reads abdomen. She did not however look around his abodomen with the camera for internal bleeding, which is procedure. While Pichakron was inserting the other trocards, the anesthesiologist team was unable to get a blood pressure reading on Airman Read. Assuming the blood pressure machine was malfunctioning, they tried replacing his blood pressure cuff. When that didn't seem to be the problem, and they still could not get a blood pressure reading on Read for about 15 minutes, someone noticed that Read was looking rather pale. Pichakron converted to an open procedure, cutting Reads abdomen from his breast bone to just above his pubic region. Upon opening Reads abdomen, he lost 3 1/2 liters of blood, when the average body carries only 5 liters. His aorta, the main blood supply to his legs, had been punctured, causing a massive amount of blood loss.
Mean while, the anesthesiologist team was bringing Read out of his sedative state to see if he had any brain damage occur from the massive blood loss. Pichakron clamped the artery and tried to repair the aorta. While trying to repair the aorta, she sutured it shut, cutting off all blood flow to Airman Reads legs. The aorta is a very large and complex vein within the body, normally in a situation like this, a vascular specialist would be called upon to repair the aorta. David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, one of the largest military hospitals in the country, did not have one on staff during the time of Reads surgery. After Pichakron tried to repair Reads aorta, he was sent to the ICU with his abdomen still open, but covered with a dressing incase they might have to go back for more surgery. When Airman Reads wife, Jessica was finally allowed to see him the ICU, around noon, she noticed something strange. Airman Reads feet were blue. "They told me they were trying to wake him up. His feet are tickilish. So, I ran my fingers up the arch of his right foot trying to get a rise out of him. His feet were cold, and looking a greyish blue color. I kept being shoved out of the way by the doctors and nurses. No one was talking to me. I had no idea what was going on. One nurse asked me who I was. I said I am his wife. Then they asked me, 'What does he do?', I told them he's out at Beale. They looked at me even more puzzled and asked me again what he did. I told them he is an imagery analyst at Beale Air Force Base. They looked at me shocked. The response I got was 'Oh, we thought he was dependent. He looks so young.' I said, 'No, he's in the Air Force.' By that time they were listening to me and I finally just spoke up and asked, 'Why are his feet blue?', then I was asked to leave."
Airman Read was taken by helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento by 5 P.M. Upon arrival, Mrs. Read was informed that her husband, Airman Read, would most likely not survive the aortic repair surgery that would save her husbands life. The doctors had never seen some one live for 8 hours without blood flow to their legs. Upon arrival to UC Davis, Airman Read had rigamortis through his knees, meaning they were unable to bend his knees because all the tissue in his legs had been dead for quite some time. By 8:00 PM Read made it through the aortic repair, but they were not out of the woods by any means. By 2:00 AM, Read lost his right leg through the knee joint. By Friday evening, Read lost his left leg through the knee joint and his right leg was taken to above his knee.
Over the next 3 weeks, major limb salvage surgery took place to save part of Reads legs for prosthetics. After going through scares of possible kidney failure, dialysis, possible loss of bowl and bladder, possible spinal cord injury, pnuemonia, and many other scares, Airman Read became a double above knee amputee, with his right leg, high thigh, and his left leg just above his knee. After 4 weeks in the ICU at UC Davis in Sacremento, Airman Colton Read was medivacced to Texas, August 7, 3 days after his 21st birthday, to be closer to family, and eventually rehab. Read was released mid August and started rehabbing. January 1, 2010, Airman Read was promoted to Senior Airman in a promotion ceremony where his previous squadron from Beale AFB got to watch via satellite. Febuary 9, 2010, Colton went to Wilford Hall for an open gallbladder removal surgery.
Airman Colton Read is a native Texas. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, and graduated class of 2007 from Sam Houston High School in Arlington. Being in the Air Force was something Read dreamed about since he was a child. Airman Read is still active duty and is trained as an Imagery Analyst. Read was decorated with an Achievement Medal in late 2009 for saving 8 American citizens in a mission performed as an imagery analyst. Due to the Feres Doctrine, Read is unable to sue another military memeber, or the government for any sort of compensation. However, his wife is able to sue for "pain and suffering" for a capped amount of $250,000. Also, since this incident occured at a hospital, Read is also ineligable for TSGLI (Traumatic Servicemans Group Life Insurance) which is $100,000 given to servicemembers who have lost limbs whether in combat or by major accident. Though no amount of money would bring Reads legs back, a quality of life has been taken that can never be regained and the Reads do not want neglience like this to effect another military family. Please help Airman Read fight the Feres Doctrine and the TSGLI by writing your congressmen!
Active duty Airman Colton Read, stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California, made the 2 hour drive to Travis Air Force Base, California for what was supposed to be "routine" laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gallbladder removal surgery, under the care of Dr. Kullada O. Pichakron. The young Airman was preparing to deploy, when he suddenly came down with abdominal pains so bad he was unable to eat or drink. The surgery was anything but routine.
Unbeknownst to Airman Read, a resident, Dr. Ryan Schutter would be performing the surgery with Dr. Pichakron overseeing. Dr. Ryan Schutter, inserted the first trocard into Airman Read, just below the belly button. After inserting the first trocard, Pichakron "became concerned" with the amount of pressure that Schutter used when inserting the trocard. Dr. Pichakron went on to insert several more trocards into Reads abdomen. She did not however look around his abodomen with the camera for internal bleeding, which is procedure. While Pichakron was inserting the other trocards, the anesthesiologist team was unable to get a blood pressure reading on Airman Read. Assuming the blood pressure machine was malfunctioning, they tried replacing his blood pressure cuff. When that didn't seem to be the problem, and they still could not get a blood pressure reading on Read for about 15 minutes, someone noticed that Read was looking rather pale. Pichakron converted to an open procedure, cutting Reads abdomen from his breast bone to just above his pubic region. Upon opening Reads abdomen, he lost 3 1/2 liters of blood, when the average body carries only 5 liters. His aorta, the main blood supply to his legs, had been punctured, causing a massive amount of blood loss.
Mean while, the anesthesiologist team was bringing Read out of his sedative state to see if he had any brain damage occur from the massive blood loss. Pichakron clamped the artery and tried to repair the aorta. While trying to repair the aorta, she sutured it shut, cutting off all blood flow to Airman Reads legs. The aorta is a very large and complex vein within the body, normally in a situation like this, a vascular specialist would be called upon to repair the aorta. David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, one of the largest military hospitals in the country, did not have one on staff during the time of Reads surgery. After Pichakron tried to repair Reads aorta, he was sent to the ICU with his abdomen still open, but covered with a dressing incase they might have to go back for more surgery. When Airman Reads wife, Jessica was finally allowed to see him the ICU, around noon, she noticed something strange. Airman Reads feet were blue. "They told me they were trying to wake him up. His feet are tickilish. So, I ran my fingers up the arch of his right foot trying to get a rise out of him. His feet were cold, and looking a greyish blue color. I kept being shoved out of the way by the doctors and nurses. No one was talking to me. I had no idea what was going on. One nurse asked me who I was. I said I am his wife. Then they asked me, 'What does he do?', I told them he's out at Beale. They looked at me even more puzzled and asked me again what he did. I told them he is an imagery analyst at Beale Air Force Base. They looked at me shocked. The response I got was 'Oh, we thought he was dependent. He looks so young.' I said, 'No, he's in the Air Force.' By that time they were listening to me and I finally just spoke up and asked, 'Why are his feet blue?', then I was asked to leave."
Airman Read was taken by helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento by 5 P.M. Upon arrival, Mrs. Read was informed that her husband, Airman Read, would most likely not survive the aortic repair surgery that would save her husbands life. The doctors had never seen some one live for 8 hours without blood flow to their legs. Upon arrival to UC Davis, Airman Read had rigamortis through his knees, meaning they were unable to bend his knees because all the tissue in his legs had been dead for quite some time. By 8:00 PM Read made it through the aortic repair, but they were not out of the woods by any means. By 2:00 AM, Read lost his right leg through the knee joint. By Friday evening, Read lost his left leg through the knee joint and his right leg was taken to above his knee.
Over the next 3 weeks, major limb salvage surgery took place to save part of Reads legs for prosthetics. After going through scares of possible kidney failure, dialysis, possible loss of bowl and bladder, possible spinal cord injury, pnuemonia, and many other scares, Airman Read became a double above knee amputee, with his right leg, high thigh, and his left leg just above his knee. After 4 weeks in the ICU at UC Davis in Sacremento, Airman Colton Read was medivacced to Texas, August 7, 3 days after his 21st birthday, to be closer to family, and eventually rehab. Read was released mid August and started rehabbing. January 1, 2010, Airman Read was promoted to Senior Airman in a promotion ceremony where his previous squadron from Beale AFB got to watch via satellite. Febuary 9, 2010, Colton went to Wilford Hall for an open gallbladder removal surgery.
Airman Colton Read is a native Texas. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, and graduated class of 2007 from Sam Houston High School in Arlington. Being in the Air Force was something Read dreamed about since he was a child. Airman Read is still active duty and is trained as an Imagery Analyst. Read was decorated with an Achievement Medal in late 2009 for saving 8 American citizens in a mission performed as an imagery analyst. Due to the Feres Doctrine, Read is unable to sue another military memeber, or the government for any sort of compensation. However, his wife is able to sue for "pain and suffering" for a capped amount of $250,000. Also, since this incident occured at a hospital, Read is also ineligable for TSGLI (Traumatic Servicemans Group Life Insurance) which is $100,000 given to servicemembers who have lost limbs whether in combat or by major accident. Though no amount of money would bring Reads legs back, a quality of life has been taken that can never be regained and the Reads do not want neglience like this to effect another military family. Please help Airman Read fight the Feres Doctrine and the TSGLI by writing your congressmen!
