Also known as: Torn major vein
Marshall Winthrop suffers a life-threatening injury to his inferior vena cava during bowel resection surgery. The injury requires emergency repair with a saphenous vein graft and massive transfusion protocol with 20 units of blood products over 8 hours.
Also known as: Broken vertebra
Natalie has a T12 compression fracture caused by chemotherapy-induced osteopenia, which worsens after a fall at a protest. The fracture compresses her spinal cord, causing leg weakness and requiring emergency decompression and fusion surgery to prevent permanent paralysis.
Also known as: Chemo-induced heart damage
Natalie develops severe heart damage from unnecessary chemotherapy given by Lane Hunter. Her heart goes into unstable ventricular tachycardia multiple times during spine surgery, requiring ventricular assist device placement and future transplant evaluation.
Also known as: Bone thinning
Natalie develops osteopenia (weakened bones) as a direct result of chemotherapy toxicity, which leads to her compression fracture and subsequent complications.
Also known as: Blood behind the eye
Russell develops orbital compartment syndrome after being hit in the eye with a baseball. The condition requires emergency pressure relief procedure to prevent permanent vision loss.
Also known as: Crohn's disease
Marshall's underlying Crohn's disease required bowel resection surgery, during which the life-threatening vascular injury occurred due to obliterated tissue planes and bowel adhesions.