Amputee faces third malpractice trial after deadlocked juries

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Everyone agrees something went terribly wrong with Lisa-Maria Carter's medical care at USF back in November of 2010.

Carter, who was an intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense, was set to go to Iraq, but first, she needed to have an ovarian cyst removed.

It's normally a routine procedure, but weeks later, she left the hospital without her arms and feet.

The two million dollar question: Who is to blame?

Her attorney, Ken Dandar blames the surgeon, Dr. Larry Glazerman for accidentally cutting her small bowel.

By the time the cut was detected, it was too late.

"There was only one treatment required to fix this emergency surgical intervention. All the signs and symptoms were there and they failed to recognize it," said Dandar.

But the defense says there is always a reasonable amount of risk in any surgery.

USF's Attorney Louis La Cava says Dr. Glazerman did nothing wrong and took all of the necessary precautions.

"The operation was performed technically correct. You're gonna see each and every step was done the way it was supposed to be done," said La Cava.

But there is no getting around the fact that life as Lisa-Maria knew it is gone. Her career is over, she needs 24-hour care and a lifetime of treatment.

This is Lisa-Maria's third trial. The first two trials ended in a deadlocked jury.

Lisa-Maria says she hopes the jury can come to a conclusion this time.

"Every time I think I'm doing okay I'll drop something and I say, 'See, if it wasn't for those tired doctors at the hospital I wouldn't have to worry about that,'" said Lisa-Maria.

She is expected to testify on Friday. Her attorneys are asking for $2 million in damages.