A jury found late last month that a Bend anesthesiologist was not negligent in the 2010 death of a patient, court records show.

Attorneys for Dr. Lucian Jones successfully argued during a civil trial in Deschutes County Circuit Court that the anesthesiologist wasn’t required to pay claims for damages brought forward in a 2013 lawsuit by one of the daughters of Leba Dorsay, who died of a heart attack before an elective surgery.

Both Cardiovascular Consultants of the Cascades and St. Charles Health System were dismissed as defendants from the lawsuit earlier this year, court records show.

Dorsay’s daughter, Haley Luchini, alleged Jones didn’t tell the surgeon performing the surgery that Dorsay’s blood pressure had dropped dangerously low after Jones administered anesthesia.

Luchini, whose attorney, Robert Barton, could not be reached for comment Friday, also claimed Jones neglected Dorsay’s history of cardiac health issues, including a 2005 heart attack and an emergency room visit less than a month before the surgery. In the latter event, Dorsay had visited the hospital’s emergency room, complaining of chest pain. After a “full cardiac workup and examination,” Dorsay was released with negative findings for a cardiac event, according to the defense.

Jones’ attorney, Jeffrey Street, said Friday that Jones treated Dorsay appropriately and safely.

“We think the jury’s verdict was the correct result for the case,” Street said. “Dr. Jones is a very caring, compassionate physician.”

Attorneys for Jones further countered that the anesthesiologist conducted a pre-anesthesia meeting with Dorsay and discussed her medical history with Dorsay and her husband, and that she tolerated anesthesia without apparent complications.

But Luchini claimed that this was when Dorsay experienced a drop in blood pressure, that Jones treated her “aggressively” with drugs to bring her blood pressure back up and did not “request or perform any additional diagnostic studies to determine why she was having such difficulty.”

About an hour and a half after she was transferred to a post-anesthesia care unit, Dorsay complained of chest pain “while fully conscious,” according to documents filed by attorneys for Jones.

Jones then called for an EKG and cardiac consult. During the consult, Dorsay suffered a heart attack, and medical staff made every effort to resuscitate her, court records filed by the defense state.

Furthermore, defense attorneys stated, there was only one causal issue at hand: Jones’ care for Dorsay the day she died. Luchini’s attorneys would have to prove that if it hadn’t been for Jones’ actions or omissions, Dorsay would not have had a heart attack and died.

After about an hour of deliberation, jurors on Aug. 28 unanimously found Jones was not at fault, Street said.

Jones is a member of the Bend Anesthesiology Group, which provides anesthesiological services throughout the county, Street said. According to the Oregon Medical Board’s website, Jones’ medical license is active.

There are no disciplinary actions listed on the board’s website.

Lisa Goodman, a spokeswoman for St. Charles Health System, could not be reached for comment Friday.

— Reporter: 541-383-0376,

cwithycombe@bendbulletin.com