A Miami woman was left with severe brain damage after a dentist inadvertently overdosed her on a ‘huge dose’ of fentanyl when she went in for an ‘unnecessary’ root canal surgery, a lawsuit has claimed.
Maria Lugo Querales almost died on the operating table on May 10, 2022, in Marble Falls, Texas after undergoing anesthesia from Dr Jerry Teague – who had been reported missing just a day prior as he was ‘disoriented’ from a recent cancer diagnosis.
According to a lawsuit filed by Lugo’s husband, he failed to intubate her before the overdose caused her heart to stop and her breathing to cease, cutting off oxygen to her brain.
She has remained in a specialized clinic ever since, reports San Antonio Express News.
The episode sparked a police investigation that abruptly ended just two weeks later when Teague passed away from pancreatic cancer, aged 70.
Teague had previously faced several suspensions and lawsuits, including a failed drug test in 2016 that came up positive for fentanyl and midazolam stolen from medical supplies.
Maria Elena Lugo Querales was left with severe brain damage following a disastrous root canal procedure where she was plied with a ‘huge dose’ of fentanyl
Anesthesiologist Dr Jerry Teague (right) had been reported missing by his wife just a day before he operated on Lugo, where it was claimed he was ‘disoriented’ and struggling mentally following a recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis that gave him less than a year to live
Lugo’s husband Luis Espana (pictured together) filed a lawsuit alleging medical negligence led to his wife becoming severely disabled, and claims the fateful procedure was ‘unnecessary’
Lugo’s husband, Luis Espana, filed the lawsuit against the dentists also involved in the surgery, Dr Lane Freeman and Dr Stuart Nunnally, and their dentist clinic Nunnally, Freeman and Owens.
They deny allegations of medical negligence, and claim Teague was an ‘independent contractor’ at the clinic, and Lugo’s injuries were caused by ‘failed attempted general anesthesia’ while the surgery was never able to be carried out.
Espana explained in a recent court filing that Lugo’s ordeal began after she travelled from Florida to Texas to attend the clinic for cavities and a root canal-treated tooth extraction.
However, he has claimed there was ‘no evidence on accepted sound, reliable and valid scientific medical knowledge or research that the surgery was necessary.’
She chose the clinic because Freeman and Nunnally had appeared on a YouTube video with social media doctor influencer Dr Lugwig Johnson, where they had noted that cavitations in the mouth can cause high levels of toxicity.
Espana’s affidavit claims that when she watched the video, she became convinced ‘her lack of energy, depression, heart issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid issues were likely caused by her root canal-treated tooth and the spaces below her pulled teeth, which they called cavitations.’
He claims the clinic’s dentists ‘committed medical negligence’ – with questions remaining over why Teague was allowed to admit the anesthesia in his alleged mental state.
The day before Lugo’s fateful surgery, Teague was reported missing by his wife after he went for an after-work walk at around 5pm.
When the Marble Falls Police Department arrived, his wife said he was suffering ‘cognitive issues’ due to a recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and a prognosis that gave him less than a year to live was ‘affecting him mentally.’
Teague’s wife told police that he was suffering ‘cognitive issues’ the day before he allegedly overdosed Lugo, and she had driven him to work as an anesthesiologist because he had become ‘disoriented’ and briefly missing the evening prior
Teague, pictured performing a surgery, had previously faced several lawsuits and suspensions, including a suspension in 2016 after a hair follicle drug test came back positive for fentanyl and midazolam
It is alleged that Teague overdosed Lugo on a cocktail of drugs, with a report from a detective noting that he administered around 400 micrograms of fentanyl, alongside a cocktail of other drugs including midazolam and lidocaine
Marble Falls Police Department photo of fentanyl bottles in the room where Maria Elena Lugo Querales was sedated
Teague showed up at his home around 45 minutes after his wife reported him missing, claiming to have become dehydrated and disoriented before someone on a golf cart gave him a ride home.
First responders had already arrived at his home due to the missing person report, but Teague reportedly refused to go to a hospital.
Despite the episode, the next morning he was back at work at Nunnally, Freeman and Owens, where he worked as a dental anesthesiologist, with Lugo as his only patient that day.
Espana’s lawsuit claims that Teague’s wife had driven him to the dental clinic that morning through fears of a repeat of her husband’s confusion the day before.
He alleges that Teague overdosed his wife on a cocktail of drugs, with a report from a detective at the scene noting that he administered around 400 micrograms of fentanyl, alongside other drugs including midazolam and lidocaine.
Dr. Robert Ertner, an anesthesiologist based in Chico, Calif., who is not involved in Lugo’s case, told the San Antonio Express News in April 2023: ‘400 micrograms of fentanyl is a huge dose for somebody who is having a tooth extracted.’
It is also alleged that she overdosed ‘without airway protection’, which led her to suffer a cardiopulmonary arrest.
She was rushed to St David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and after never fully recovering from her injuries, she has since resided in a specialized neurological rehabilitation facility in Florida.
Lugo now requires round-the-clock attention, including artificial feeding and mechanical ventilation through a tracheotomy.
A criminal investigation was launched into Teague following Lugo’s ordeal, however it was brought to an abrupt halt two weeks in after he died from cancer aged 70
When Marble Falls police officers arrived at the clinic following a 911 call, officer Scott Dulaney was stunned to see the anesthesiologist was Teague – who he had witnessed the evening before when he attended the missing person’s report.
He told another cop that why he recognized him, with bodycam footage capturing them responding: ‘Are you kidding me?’
The officer called his supervisor, who said in a police report that Teague tried to explain the crisis was due to an hour delay waiting for a colleague, and ‘the late start became confusing because we were trying to induce her at a time when she’s already supposed to be asleep.’
Espana claimed in his lawsuit that Lugo had no idea her anesthesiologist had been a missing person the day before, and he nor the other dentists in the room obtained her informed consent to sedate her.
In a response filing, the dentists in the filing said ‘recommended procedures’ and ‘potential risks’ were discussed before she ‘consented to the recommended care.’
Nunnally, Freeman and Owens also reportedly claimed that her injuries were the result of a ‘pre-existing medical condition’, and it was an ‘unavoidable accident in that it was not proximately caused by the culpable negligence of any party to this action.’
The clinic added that the root canal procedure was never performed due to the issues with her sedation.
Teague’s estate reached an undisclosed settlement last month with Espana, which is now subject to approval in court, while the dentists and the clinic have all denied allegations of medical negligence against them.
After never fully recovering from her injuries, Lugo has since resided in a specialized neurological rehabilitation facility in Florida, and requires round-the-clock attention including artificial feeding and mechanical ventilation through a tracheotomy
The episode came after Teague had previously faced several unrelated suspensions from practice and lawsuits.
In 2016, he was suspended by the State Board of Dental Examiners after a hair follicle drug test came back positive for fentanyl and midazolam.
According to a report by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, he stole them from the supply he kept for his patients, and did not have a prescription for the drugs.
In a scathing report, the body said his continued practice of dentistry ‘would constitute a clear, imminent or continuing threat to a person’s physical health and well-being.’
His suspension ended in 2019, the same year he resumed practicing at Nunnally, Freeman and Owens as their anesthesiologist.
It was also reported that same year, he was hit with an IRS federal tax lien claiming over $660,000 in unpaid income taxes.
Teague’s reported obituary said that he had treated over 25,000 patients in his career.
But it also cited a ‘tragic injury’ that led him to take a three-plus year sabbatical beginning in 2015, the year before his reported suspension for the failed drug test.
Nine days after his death, the lead detective in his case wrote that a ‘question had been raised whether Teague’s cognitive abilities were dampened by his medical condition, affecting his ability to safely administer anesthesia. Teague died prior to the conclusion of the investigation.’
Espana is seeking undisclosed damages, alongside the settlement reached with Teague’s estate that is likely to be paid by his medical insurer, as Lugo racked up considerable medical bills.
This included around $1 million at St David’s, which her insurer is refusing to cover as it did not approve her receiving healthcare in Texas, her lawyer has said.