Hospital Room Confrontation Sparks Lawsuit: Surgeon’s Arrest at Lavonia Medical Center Detailed in Court Filing.

Hospital Room Confrontation Sparks Lawsuit, Surgeon’s Arrest at Lavonia Medical Center Detailed in Court Filing.

LAVONIA, Georgia — A newly filed lawsuit is shedding light on a heated confrontation between a patient and a surgeon that ultimately led to the doctor’s arrest earlier this year at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia.

The civil complaint, filed in Franklin County Superior Court by attorney Jeremiah Van Dora, represents patient Natalie Henry in a case against surgeon Steven James Muscoreil, the hospital, and Acute Care Surgery Medical Group. The lawsuit outlines events that allegedly took place while Henry was recovering from gallbladder surgery performed by Muscoreil in early January.

According to the filing, Henry visited the emergency room on January 6 complaining of severe abdominal pain. Doctors diagnosed her with gallstones, and she underwent laparoscopic gallbladder surgery the following morning. However, the complaint states that Henry soon began experiencing significant swelling and worsening pain in her abdomen and repeatedly informed hospital staff of her condition.

Henry alleges that when she asked nurses to contact the surgeon overnight, they told her that Muscoreil “doesn’t like to be bothered.” By the following day, her abdomen had become noticeably swollen, prompting doctors to order a CT scan. When Muscoreil later discussed the scan results by phone, the lawsuit claims he became angry after Henry asked him to personally examine her, reportedly shouting, “Don’t tell me how to do my job.”

The complaint alleges Muscoreil then entered the hospital room yelling and pointing his finger near Henry’s face while she lay in bed recovering. According to the filing, a nurse stepped between the surgeon and patient, fearing the confrontation might escalate physically.

Henry called 911, and officers from the Lavonia Police Department responded. Muscoreil was later arrested for simple assault and taken to the Franklin County Detention Center.

Henry now seeks damages for emotional distress, medical expenses, and punitive damages, alleging negligence and failure to protect patients. The lawsuit also calls for a jury trial.