A Miami woman is left with severe brain damage and requires “around-the-clock care” after a terminally ill anesthesiologist in Texas gave her a “huge dose” of fentanyl during what her husband’s lawsuit says was “unnecessary” dental surgery.
On May 10, 2022, Maria Lugo Querales underwent dental surgery. Before the procedure, her heart reportedly stopped beating and she was unable to breathe after Dr. Jerry Teague allegedly gave her too many anesthesia drugs without intubating her first, according to a civil medical malpractice complaint made by the alleged victim’s husband, Luis Espana.
The Florida native reportedly traveled to a dental practice in Marble Falls, Texas to receive a procedure on “alleged ‘cavitations'” and the extraction of an asymptomatic root canal-treated tooth,” the lawsuit, obtained by T he New York Post , claims.
According to a police report obtained by San Antonio Express-News , Lugo was treated with about 400 grams of fentanyl, the sedative midazolam, and the anesthetic lidocaine.
Robert Ertner, an anesthesiologist from California who has no involvement in Lugo’s case told the Express-News in April 2023 that “400 micrograms of fentanyl is a huge dose for somebody who is having a tooth extracted.”
Teague worked as an anesthesiologist at the Marble Falls clinic and was suspended years before for stealing drugs from the supply he kept for his patients at a different dental office. His suspension was cleared in 2019 and he began working at the Texas clinic.
Teague allegedly administered the array of drugs to Lugo just one day after he was reported missing by his wife, reportedly having failed to return home after an evening stroll.
His wife told police that Teague was undergoing “cognitive issues” because he had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given a prognosis of less than a year, according to Espana’s lawsuit.
Just two weeks after Lugo suffered life-threatening injuries, Teagues died from cancer.
Espana is now suing the dental clinic and dentists Lane Freeman and Stuart Nunnally for negligence, claiming they were “offering, planning and performing unnecessary dental surgery” and had his wife sedated “for no valid reason.”
The doctors have denied such wrongdoing.
Per The Post , Espana is seeking unspecified damages from the dental practice and the doctors after reaching a confidential settlement with Teague’s estate last month.
Lugo currently lives in a neurological rehabilitation facility in Florida where she receives 24-hour care. She has to breathe through a tracheotomy and is fed through a tube.
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They need to proofread this story . 400 grams is more than a pound. Then they corrected as 400 micrograms which is as far a Fentanyl goes , also a ridiculous amount
We have great dentists in South Florida….why did this woman traveled to Texas to get this done?
I guess Texas is the New Mexico (The country) that disgraced doctors, lawyers and politicians go to have a second opportunity to screw with people’s lives in the land of low regulations
Things aren’t adding up. Why all the way to Texas? She went there for a reason. What was it? Did she ask for heavy sedation? Did the accused Dr do the dental work or was it another dentist? There should be some records that can be reviewed.
hang the sob