Carol Polifka survived her cancer surgery — but didn’t survive the hospital stay that followed it.
An 80-year-old Connecticut grandmother died after nurses at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport allegedly ignored her doctor-ordered diet restrictions — serving her regular meals instead of the medically required soft, liquid diet. Now her family is fighting for answers.
What Went Wrong
Carol Polifka had lung cancer surgery on January 23, 2024 — a procedure that went well with no complications. Her surgeon was pleased. The cancer margins were clean.
But during recovery, a Speech-Language Pathologist determined Polifka had serious swallowing difficulties. She was placed on a strict “dysphagia level 7” diet — only soft, easy-to-chew foods and thickened liquids — along with one-on-one supervision at every meal.
According to a lawsuit filed by her son, nurses ignored those orders — and served her a regular meal tray instead. Twice.
From the lawsuit
“Nursing staff departed from the standard of care by serving a ‘regular’ diet on at least two separate shifts, in direct violation of the active diet order.”
What Happened Next
On the morning of January 30, 2024, a respiratory therapist found Polifka with “copious amounts” of vomit in her airway. Later that day, she suffered a second vomiting event, went into cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead.
Medical tests confirmed the cause: she had aspirated — inhaled food or liquid into her lungs — leading to aspiration pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Family’s Attorney Speaks Out
Attorney Patrick Filan, who represents the Polifka family, told the Hartford Courant that the surgery itself was a success — the cancer was removed with clean margins.
“It’s not a case where the operation went wrong,” Filan said. “It is basic postoperative attention to detail where she was let down. Elderly patients are very reliant on hospital staff. Sadly, they let her down.”
Hartford Healthcare, which operates St. Vincent’s, said it cannot comment on pending litigation but offered its “heartfelt thoughts and deepest sympathies” to the family.
Why This Matters
Hospital diet orders exist for critical safety reasons — especially for elderly patients with swallowing difficulties. This case raises serious questions about nursing oversight and whether hospitals are doing enough to protect vulnerable post-surgery patients.
The lawsuit, filed in Connecticut, is currently pending.
