Suit: North Side hospital lost man’s bone flap after surgery

A lawsuit filed Wednesday claims a man’s bone flap was lost after he underwent brain surgery at the former Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center on the North Side in 2011.

Marie Kluss filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of her father, Anthony Kluss, who underwent an urgent craniotomy at the hospital on Sept. 29, 2011.

According to the suit, Kluss was admitted to Resurrection for an urgent craniotomy and a portion of his skull was removed to allow access to a subdural hematoma, which is commonly known as a “bone flap.”

The flap is supposed to be preserved so it can be replaced after recovery from the surgery, according to the suit, but the hospital told Kluss’ daughter in 2013 that they had been unable to locate her father’s bone flap.

Kluss’ daughter is hard of hearing, and the suit mentions that Presence may have tried to communicate with her before 2013 to schedule her father’s next surgery.

The two-count lawsuit against Presence Health claims negligence and seeks more than $100,000 in damages. Presence owned and operated the former Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, now Community First Medical Center.

A spokesperson for Presence Health said they will not comment on pending litigation.