Woman with breast cancer sues Hawaii doctor

A Saipan resident is suing a former Hawaii-based doctor for alleged medical malpractice, claiming the physician failed to exercise due care and follow-up on her breasts’ reconstructive surgery.

Mary Anne E. Stewart sued in federal court Dr. Barbara Honnebier and her Pacific Institute of Human Restoration LLC, five unnamed health care organizations, and five unnamed persons.

Stewart asked the U.S. District Court for the NMI to order the defendants to pay her damages and court costs. She filed the lawsuit without a lawyer.

According to Stewart’s complaint, while in Thailand in June 2006, she had a mammogram that was positive for suspicious microcalcifications. Consultation with other physicians led Stewart to The Queen’s Medical Center in Hawaii for treatment.

On Jan. 10, 2007, Stewart traveled to Hawaii, where, on Feb. 5, 2007, she had total bilateral mastectomy. Prior to her surgery, Stewart consulted with Dr. Honnebier as to post-mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery.

In order to make the reconstruction of Stewart’s breasts easier and to give that reconstruction a better chance of success, Dr. Honnebier was consulted to implant medical devices called “expanders” in her chest immediately following her mastectomy.

Honnebier implanted these expanders while Stewart was still under general anesthesia from her mastectomy.

The morning after Stewart returned to her residence following her surgery, her son noticed that when he was changing the bandages there was a visible hole in the suturing on the surgical wound on her left breast.

The son called Dr. Honnebier and another doctor immediately and both doctors had Stewart come to their offices that day.

A Dr. Nakashizuka, a mastectomy surgeon, cultured the wound. Dr. Honnebier gave Stewart silver antibiotic cream and silver gauze to apply to the hole thrice a day after washing.

Over the course of the next several months, Stewart repeatedly complained of pain and discoloration on her left breast. Dr. Honnebier continued to assure Stewart that she just didn’t know what was going on with the site.

On April 17, 2007, a physical therapist suggested that her surgical site might be infected. The following day, Stewart complained of pain, swelling, and discoloration in her left breast.

Dr. Honnebier prescribed an antibiotic. Within 24 hours the breast infection was significantly obvious. Dr. Honnebier incised and drained some fluid from Stewart’s left breast and sent sample for analysis.

On April 19, 2007, Dr. Honnebier operated on Stewart and removed the expander from her left breast. The operation showed that the infection in her left breast had also eroded the expander and caused tissue and muscle damage within her left breast.

Two weeks after this surgery, Stewart was forced to return home to Saipan because of the continuing loss of income she was sustaining.

Before departing for Saipan, Stewart worked out a payment plan with Dr. Honnebier to apply to the outstanding balance on her medical bill.

On Nov. 8, 2007, Dr. Honnebier allegedly contacted Stewart to inform her that unless she pays the remaining balance of those costs not covered by her medical insurance, plus the projected amount for the remaining surgery that would not be covered by her medical insurance up front, she would not treat her any further.

Dr. Honnebier did not recommend any other physician to perform Stewart’s reconstructive surgery should she not be able to pay this balance and prepayment before December 2007.

A reconstructive surgeon with a practice in Guam was able to take Stewart as a referral patient.

As of the date of the filing of the lawsuit, Stewart is still being treated to finalize the reconstructive surgery.

Stewart asserted that Dr.Honnebier failed to exercise care in both her reconstructive surgery and follow-up care.

She alleged that the doctor’s repeated avoidance of her over a course of months following her surgery when an infection was developing “amounts to patient abandonment and gross negligence.”