Anesthesiologist's Brain Injury Sparks Landmark Malpractice Trial

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL – February 03, 2026 – A Palm Beach County jury is set to hear opening arguments this week in a high-stakes medical malpractice case that carries a tragic irony at its core: a retired anesthesiologist who suffered a catastrophic brain injury allegedly due to the negligence of the anesthesia team overseeing her own surgery. The trial, scheduled to begin Wednesday, February 4th, pits the family of Dr. Mary Nalbandian against a prominent local anesthesia provider and its national parent company, raising critical questions about patient safety and corporate accountability in the operating room.

The lawsuit, filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit Court, alleges that a series of preventable errors during a routine brain surgery in March 2021 left Dr. Nalbandian with a severe and irreversible brain injury requiring lifelong care. Her law firm, Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, announced it is prepared to present a full accounting of the events to a jury.

A Routine Procedure, A Catastrophic Outcome

According to the complaint, the events unfolded on March 14, 2021, when Dr. Nalbandian was admitted to St. Mary’s Medical Center for the treatment of a subdural hematoma, a common type of brain bleed. She underwent a craniotomy, a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on the brain, which required the administration of general anesthesia.

The plaintiffs will argue that during the surgery, Dr. Nalbandian experienced a significant drop in blood pressure—a critical event that demands immediate and effective intervention from the anesthesia team. The lawsuit contends that the providers responsible for her care failed to adequately respond to this hypotensive episode. This alleged failure, the complaint states, resulted in a prolonged loss of oxygen to her brain, a condition known as hypoxic-ischemic injury, leading to devastating and permanent neurological damage.

The lawsuit names several defendants: the practice group South Florida Anesthesia & Pain Treatment, P.A.; anesthesiologist Dr. David Enscoe; and two Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), Cindy Ross and Susan Fante. The legal filings detail a profound and lasting impact on the lives of Dr. Nalbandian and her husband, Santiago Kayan, who is also a plaintiff in the case, seeking damages for loss of consortium.

Scrutiny on Standards of Care and Corporate Oversight

At the heart of the trial is the standard of care expected of anesthesia providers. Medical guidelines from organizations like the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) establish rigorous protocols for perioperative care. These standards mandate the continuous monitoring of a patient's vital signs, including circulation and oxygenation. Specifically, the ASA's "Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring" require that a patient's blood pressure and heart rate be measured at least every five minutes to ensure adequate blood flow and oxygen delivery to vital organs, especially the brain.

The plaintiffs' case will likely hinge on expert testimony to establish that the defendants breached this fundamental standard of care. “This case is about accountability when preventable breakdowns in perioperative monitoring and response lead to permanent, life-altering harm,” said Sean C. Domnick, a shareholder at the firm representing the Nalbandian family, in a statement. “We look forward to presenting the evidence to a Palm Beach County jury.”

Adding another layer of complexity to the case is the corporate structure behind the local anesthesia group. South Florida Anesthesia & Pain Treatment, P.A., is a subsidiary of TeamHealth, one of the nation's largest providers of outsourced physician staffing for hospitals. TeamHealth, which has a significant footprint in Florida, manages anesthesia services for numerous healthcare facilities, promising to optimize operating room performance and patient safety.

This corporate link broadens the scope of the lawsuit beyond the actions of individual practitioners to include questions of corporate oversight, training, and policies. The trial may explore whether the systems put in place by the larger corporate entity were sufficient to prevent such an incident, placing the business model of large-scale, outsourced medical staffing under a legal microscope.

A Personal Fight in Florida's Evolving Legal Landscape

For the Nalbandian family, the legal battle is a deeply personal fight for answers and justice. The irony of Dr. Nalbandian’s professional background as an anesthesiologist underscores the family’s ordeal. Having spent her career safely guiding patients through surgery, she now lives with the consequences of what her attorneys allege was a failure of the very system she was once a part of.

“Our clients, the Nalbandian family, deserve answers, and the jury deserves to hear what happened in that operating room and why,” added Nicole Kruegel, a Partner at Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa. “We’re prepared to present the full record and hold every responsible party accountable.”

The case is also significant within Florida's dynamic legal environment for medical malpractice. The state has seen numerous multi-million dollar verdicts in cases involving catastrophic injuries, and the legislature has recently debated changes to laws governing damages in medical negligence lawsuits. This trial, involving a well-known local law firm with a track record of securing large verdicts against major institutions, will be closely watched by the legal and medical communities.

As the trial commences, the jury will be tasked with navigating the intricate details of anesthetic management and surgical procedures. They will hear testimony from medical experts and weigh the defendants' response to the allegations. Ultimately, their decision will determine accountability for the life-altering injuries sustained by Dr. Mary Nalbandian and send a message about the expected standards of care in every Florida operating room.