Seattle Children’s Doctors Discover Upside-Down Heart Valve After Girl Was Told She Needed a Heart Transplant
Favour Bitrus
June 9, 2026
A 13-year-old Oregon girl who was reportedly told she might need a heart transplant after a failed heart surgery was ultimately saved after doctors at Seattle Children’s Hospital discovered that her prosthetic heart valve had allegedly been implanted upside down during surgery at an Oregon hospital, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed by parents Steven and Lori Stokes in Multnomah County Circuit Court, seeks $17 million in damages from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and cardiac surgeon Dr. Ashok Muralidaran. The family alleges that a surgical error during an August 15, 2025, open-heart procedure nearly cost their daughter her life.
According to court filings, the teenager underwent surgery at OHSU to receive a prosthetic heart valve. After the procedure, doctors were unable to restart her heart normally and placed her on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a form of life support that temporarily performs the work of the heart and lungs.
The lawsuit alleges that OHSU physicians repeatedly assured the family that the operation had gone well and that the girl’s condition was the result of severe surgical shock. As her condition worsened, the family says they were eventually told that she was dying and that a heart transplant might be her only chance of survival.
Faced with grim odds, the family agreed to transfer their daughter to Seattle Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.
Once in Seattle, physicians conducted additional imaging and testing. According to the lawsuit, doctors quickly identified the source of the problem: the prosthetic heart valve had allegedly been implanted upside down, blocking normal blood flow and preventing the heart from functioning properly.
In the correct position, Seattle Children’s surgeons reportedly performed emergency corrective surgery, removing the improperly positioned valve and replacing it with a correctly positioned valve. The lawsuit states that the girl’s heart began functioning normally after the procedure, and she was eventually able to come off life support.
The family alleges their daughter spent approximately 18 days on heart and lung support systems before the error was discovered and corrected. She later spent weeks recovering in intensive care before returning home.
Court documents indicate the family’s medical expenses exceeded $3 million, including treatment costs at both OHSU and Seattle Children’s. The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and alleged negligence.
The allegations have not been proven in court. OHSU has not publicly responded in detail to the claims contained in the lawsuit.
The case has attracted national attention because of the extraordinary nature of the alleged surgical error and because Seattle Children’s physicians are credited with identifying and correcting the issue after the family had been told their daughter was unlikely to survive.
