Iowa woman died following hernia repair after nurses dismissed painful post-surgery symptoms: lawsuit
Laura Belt, a 46-year-old Iowa woman, died in May 2024 from sepsis caused by a bowel perforation following a routine hernia repair. Her family alleges that hospital staff dismissed her symptoms, including feculent drainage from her incision site, as normal. A lawsuit has been filed against her surgeon, two nurses, and Decatur County Hospital for medical malpractice.
- ▪Laura Belt died from sepsis linked to a bowel perforation after hernia surgery.
- ▪Hospital staff reportedly dismissed her symptoms, including brown liquid draining from her incision, as normal.
- ▪The Iowa Board of Medicine has charged Dr. Edwin Vincent Wehling with professional incompetency.
- ▪Belt's family filed a lawsuit against Dr. Wehling, nurses Brandi Oesch and Tammy Roberts, and Decatur County Hospital.
- ▪Belt had not had a bowel movement after surgery and sent images of the drainage to a nurse, who assured her it was not abnormal.
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Iowa Iowa woman died following hernia repair after nurses dismissed painful post-surgery symptoms: lawsuit A lawsuit alleges that nurses told Laura Belt the brown liquid draining from her incision was not abnormal By Landon Mion Fox News Published May 4, 2026 3:21am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for May 3 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! An Iowa woman died after a routine hernia repair, as she suffered from an infection and deadly constipation symptoms that hospital staff brushed off as "normal," according to her family's lawsuit against a surgeon and two registered nurses.
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