A Fort Dodge couple has been awarded about $19.8 million in a malpractice lawsuit filed against the renowned Mayo Clinic and one of its surgeons.

A jury in Minnesota’s Third Judicial District approved the award to Daniel and Linette Nelson.

The lawsuit was filed over a June 2018 operation in which Dr. Amy Lightner was to remove the diseased rectum from Linette Nelson. But five to seven centimeters of the rectum were left in place, resulting in additional surgeries and lingering health problems.

Attorneys for the Nelsons said that as a result of the medical mistakes, Linette Nelson now suffers from permanent disfigurement, pelvic floor disorder, fibromyalgia, post traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.

In a statement issued by Trial Lawyers for Justice, Russ Hixson, one of the Nelsons’ attorneys, said “The Mayor Clinic promotes itself as the best medical institution in the world. But in order to be the best, accountability and honesty should be paramount. Still to this day the medical negligence is not documented in the medical record and the testimony provided by Mayo physicians at trial appeared inaccurate in numerous respects. I am just so thankful for the strength this jury showed in reaching a righteous verdict.”

The Nelsons and the Mayo Clinic did not respond to requests for comment.

Lightner is apparently no longer affiliated with the Mayo Clinic.