MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The parents of a baby who suffered permanent brain damage during surgery at a Madison hospital have been awarded $22.5 million after filing a malpractice lawsuit. Six-week-old Venkatasathvik Mallidi had surgery in April 2016 at UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital for a tethered cord, a birth defect in which the spinal cord is stuck to surrounding tissue. The baby was deprived of oxygen resulting from problems with anesthesia administered by a resident, or doctor in training. The lawsuit filed in Dane County says the resident failed to react appropriately to low blood pressure readings. The settlement comes from a state fund that covers malpractice payments of more than $1 million. All doctors in Wisconsin are required to make payments to the fund to cover larger settlements.
