Iowa woman dies after post-surgery complications reportedly overlooked by hospital staff

Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:00 +0200

Laura Belt, a 46-year-old woman from Iowa, died in May 2024 due to complications following a routine hernia repair surgery. According to a lawsuit filed by her family, nurses at Decatur County Hospital dismissed her post-surgery symptoms, including the drainage of fecal matter from her incision and a lack of bowel movements. Despite her distress and attempts to communicate with the nurses, she was reassured that the drainage was normal. The situation escalated, and she was later diagnosed with sepsis and necrotic tissue at another hospital. Belt's family is suing Dr. Edwin Vincent Wehling, who performed the surgery, along with nurses Brandi Oesch and Tammy Roberts, alleging medical malpractice. The Iowa Board of Medicine has also charged Dr. Wehling with professional incompetency. The lawsuit claims that necessary antibiotics were never properly prescribed, and the family argues that earlier intervention could have prevented her death. A trial is scheduled for August 23, 2026. The accu