After 250 minutes of lower spine surgery, Ronald McClintock says he was unresponsive and had "dangerously low" blood pressure. He couldn't move his hands or arms and couldn't see anything. While he regained use of his upper extremities, his sight never returned.

Mr. McClintock is suing spine surgeon R. Scott Collins, MD, of Moline, Ill., and the Trinity Regional Health System for medical malpractice, according to press reports.

The Quad City Times of Davenport, Iowa, reports that Mr. McClintock went to Trinity Medical Center in May 2010 for lumbar spine surgery to have bone fragments removed. During the procedure Mr. McClintock, who is obese and has type 2 diabetes, was positioned face down for 100 minutes longer than expected.

Although Dr. Collins didn't report any complications in Mr. McClintock's medical record, the patient claims that right after surgery he was non-responsive, had low blood pressure and experienced swelling in his face. When he woke up, he couldn't see or move his upper extremities, according to the Times.

Mr. McClintock is suing for more than $50,000, according a press report. A hearing is set for July 21.

Dr. Collins, attorneys for Mr. McClintock and a spokeswoman for the hospital did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Kent Steinriede