Parents sue doctors for malpractice
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
The parents of a girl who contracted a serious flesh-eating infection two years ago yesterday filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against two Honolulu doctors who treated her.
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The lawsuit was filed in Circuit Court by Anthony and Annette Shimizu, parents of Alyshia Shimizu. Named as defendants were Drs. Walton Shim and Raul Rudoy, and Children's Surgery Ltd.
Alyshia Shimizu was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacteria, in June 2000.
Neither Shim nor Rudoy could be reached for comment yesterday. Shim is a pediatric surgeon and chief of staff at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children.
In June 2000, Alyshia Shimizu fell at her home and cut her knee. She was taken to Kapi'olani Medical Center where she was treated by Shim and Rudoy, the lawsuit said. Two weeks later the then 5-year-old Alyshia was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacteria. She was sent to a California hospital where she underwent a series of skin grafts and other medical procedures.
The lawsuit alleges that Shim and Rudoy "carelessly and negligently" examined, monitored, diagnosed, and treated Alyshia, which resulted in multi-organ failure, disfigurement and other disabilities. As a result, the lawsuit said, Alyshia suffered and will continue to suffer "great physical pain" and her parents "serious mental anguish and emotional distress." The lawsuit seeks an undetermined amount in damages.
