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City MD sues radiologists over tumour, brain damage

By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 11/29/2012 1:00 AM

A local doctor and neurology resident said he suffered severe brain damage after five doctors at Health Sciences Centre who were treating him for a brain tumour neglected to notice the tumour had grown significantly and was removed too late.

Wajid Sayeed, 28, said he has been left with neurological and cognitive defects and a decreased life expectancy.

Sayeed is suing the five radiologists who were monitoring the tumour growth, wanting to be compensated for his suffering and shortened life.

Statements of defence have not been filed. The allegations have not been proven in court.

In a statement of claim, Sayeed said he was originally diagnosed with a brain tumor in late 2008 and had it removed in January 2009. The post-treatment plan required him to have an MRI of his brain every three to four months.

Sayeed, originally from London, Ont., where he graduated from the University of Western Ontario medical school, moved to Winnipeg in June 2010 to begin his residency in neurology.

Between August 2010 and June 1, 2012, Sayeed said he had seven MRI exams on his brain, each scan being reviewed by one or a combination of the five radiologists.

Sayeed said following each MRI exam, the radiologists concluded there was no progression of the tumour or anything to be concerned about.

Sayeed said he began suffering seizures in March, which prompted him to review the MRI scans himself and to consult other doctors.

"It became apparent... that though each successive MRI demonstrated little progressions of the tumour, when compared with the MRI in August 2010, there was clear progression," Sayeed states in court documents.

Sayeed said by this past summer it was clear the tumour was malignant and had to be removed.

Sayeed said had the radiologists caught the tumour's growth when they should have, in April and May 2011, the treatment options would have been far less invasive and the tumour would not have been allowed to grow as large as it did, and brain damage would have been minimized.

"The (five radiologists) are, each of them, negligent in that they compared the then-current MRI to the previous MRI as opposed to reviewing all of the previous MRIs to investigate what if any pattern was developing," the documents state.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 29, 2012 A5