Medical professionals Vladimir Dimov, Edin Lamežević, and Miodrag Pavličić, who were charged with the negligent treatment of patient Danka Komnenić (32), who passed away on March 18, 2016, have been found not guilty. The ruling was delivered yesterday by the Higher Court in Podgorica.

The indictment claimed that the doctors did not ensure that Komnenić received the required vaccination following the surgical removal of her spleen. During a medical examination, it was determined that a cyst on the spleen was present in the now-deceased patient.

After consultations with medical staff, it was resolved to perform the surgery post-delivery. In November 2015, surgeon Dr. Vladimir Dimov, with the assistance of Lamežević and Pavličić, proceeded to surgically remove both the cyst and the spleen.

The surgery utilized the laparoscopic technique. According to the indictment, the physicians neglected to administer the vaccine to the patient immediately after the procedure, a requirement mandated by the Health Care Act, as immunization is compulsory in cases involving complete spleen removal. The vaccine, which should have been given within 14 days post-spleen removal, was never administered to Danka Komnenić, nor was there any mention in her discharge documentation about the necessity of immunization within that time frame.

During the trial, the accused doctors had previously maintained their defense against the allegations and expressed sorrow over the loss of the patient.

At the primary hearing conducted in December 2022, defendant Miodrag Pavličić expressed his regret regarding Danka Komnenić’s passing, while asserting that he bore no responsibility for her death after the surgery. He noted that he assisted surgeon Vladimir Dimov during the operation.

“I don’t feel culpable, but I do feel sorrow for the lost life. I often reflect on whether we as a team could have done more for the late Danka Komnenić,” stated Pavličić.

He mentioned that Komnenić was his patient and recommended scheduling the surgery after her delivery, which was carried out.

“I hadn’t seen her again until the day I was summoned to the operating room to help Dr. Dimov with the first laparoscopic spleen removal procedure conducted in our country. The surgery took a considerable amount of time but was executed successfully. That was the highlight of that day in Montenegro,” remarked defendant Pavličić.

He further stated that Dr. Dimov performed all necessary actions in this instance, and the ultimate outcome was a series of unfortunate circumstances.

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