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Surgeon Faces Charges After Patient's Death
30 Apr
Summary
- Surgeon charged with incompetence and public harm.
- Lawsuit alleges bowel perforation, sepsis, and wrongful death.
- Medical records allegedly altered after patient's death.
Dr. Edwin Vincent Wehling, a surgeon in Decatur County, is facing charges of professional incompetence and practicing in a manner harmful to the public. The Iowa Board of Medicine announced these charges on January 14, 2026. A hearing is scheduled for September 24-25, 2026.
Wehling is also a defendant in a medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit concerning Laura Belt. The suit alleges that after a hernia repair surgery on April 30, 2024, Belt experienced severe complications, including a bowel perforation and septic shock.
According to the lawsuit, Belt's condition worsened after surgery, with medical records indicating a lack of bowel movement and significant wound drainage. Despite her symptoms, she was allegedly assured her condition was normal by hospital nurses.
Further allegations include the back-dating of medical records by a nurse on May 13, 2024, to reflect conversations and advice given days earlier. Belt died on May 15, 2024, allegedly due to complications from the bowel perforation.
The defendants deny wrongdoing, with Dr. Wehling suggesting a pre-existing condition might have caused Belt's injuries. A trial in this case is scheduled for August 23, 2027.
