A routine medical procedure has turned into a life-altering nightmare for an Oregon family, leading to a $68.5 million lawsuit alleging medical negligence.
According to the California Post, Trisha Stevens, a 46-year-old mother of six from Boring, Oregon, and her husband, Brian, filed the lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The suit claims that a series of failures by doctors and medical facilities in the Portland area allowed a post-surgical infection to spread through her body, eventually leaving her with multiple amputations and permanent paralysis.
The crisis began on Oct. 4, 2024, when Stevens underwent a planned robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy performed by Dr. Alvin Nakamura at Adventist Health Portland. Four days later, the pathology results reportedly showed localized inflammation. However, the lawsuit alleged there is no record indicating that Dr. Nakamura reviewed the results or warned Stevens about possible complications.
She ended up in septic shock
Things reportedly took a turn for the worse about two weeks later. While walking down the bleachers at her son’s game, Stevens felt a “sudden tearing and popping sensation” in her lower abdomen, followed by immediate vaginal bleeding.
According to the lawsuit, she contacted Bridgetown Medical Group, Dr. Nakamura’s clinic, and reported concerning symptoms, including a low-grade fever, abdominal cramping, and a blood clot “the size of a baseball.” The complaint alleges that instead of being directed to seek emergency care, a nurse advised her to stay home, drink fluids, and monitor the bleeding.
By the time Stevens went to the emergency room at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center later that night, her condition had reportedly deteriorated. She was bleeding heavily and going through vaginal pads rapidly. Hospital staff allegedly found her in severe distress and diagnosed her with peritonitis, lactic acidosis, and an acute kidney injury.
The lawsuit also raises allegations about the emergency care she received. It claims that the on-call OB/GYN, Dr. Gregory Eilers, observed that her surgical closure had separated and looked raw but failed to order internal tests or recommend immediate surgery. The following morning, on-call general surgeon Dr. Robert Azar was brought in to consult. According to the complaint, Azar initially relied on antibiotics rather than immediately operating to address the infection. The lawsuit claims that surgery was delayed by six to seven hours, during which a Group A streptococcus infection allegedly triggered septic shock and multiple organ failure.
The consequences for Stevens were devastating. Over several weeks in critical care, including time at the Oregon Burn Center, she reportedly suffered severe tissue necrosis. Doctors eventually amputated both legs above the knee, her right hand at the wrist, her left thumb, and portions of her remaining fingers. The tissue damage also reportedly affected parts of her lips and tongue, as well as her hair. Blood flow blockages to her spinal cord during the medical crisis left her permanently paraplegic, according to the lawsuit.
She said she has lost all her freedoms
“I came home having lost both of my legs and my right hand,” Stevens told local media. “I live with paralysis in a body that no longer responds the way it once did… I never knew those ordinary things were freedoms until they were gone.”
Her husband, Brian, a Portland firefighter, has reportedly become her full-time caregiver as the family adjusts to life in a home that is not equipped for her needs. Legacy Health has declined to comment publicly because of the pending litigation. The lawsuit remains before Multnomah County Circuit Court, where the allegations against the doctors and medical facilities have yet to be resolved.
Published: Oct 15, 2026 11:00 am