The family of an Oregon man whose face caught fire during surgery while he was “awake and conscious” is suing the hospital where the incident occurred for nearly $1 million.
John Michael Murdoch, then 51, underwent a tracheostomy (a procedure to create a breathing hole in the neck) in December 2022 after being diagnosed with tongue cancer.
According to the lawsuit, alcohol was applied to Mr. Murdoch’s face to prepare his skin for the procedure, but it did not dry completely before doctors at Oregon Health & Science University began the surgery.
While Murdoch lay awake on the operating table, a surgical instrument emitted a spark. It ignited and burned his skin, leaving him with “disfiguring scars and traumatic wounds.”
While this was happening, the lawsuit claims Murdoch was “awake and conscious.”
It is stated in court documents seen by Oregon live that he could not speak clearly at the time, but he was able to communicate to his wife the discomfort and pain he was suffering from the burns, although she did not reveal exactly how.
He lived for six months after the incident and cancer is listed as the final cause of his death in June 2023.
An estimated 90 to 100 surgical fires occur annually in the U.S., and in most cases, incidents are preventable. However, many are believed to go undetected and there is no national database documenting cases.
John Michael Murdoch, then 51, was undergoing a tracheotomy (a procedure to create a breathing hole in the neck) when he allegedly suffered surgical burns.
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While burns from the surgical fire were not cited as the cause of death, the lawsuit claims that Murdoch endured great suffering and his wounds never fully healed before he died.
According to the lawsuit, the tool used during his surgery had a history of sparking.
The fire started after sparks combined with oxygen and highly flammable isopropyl alcohol, which had not completely evaporated from Mr Murdoch’s face.
The colorless liquid is commonly used to disinfect the skin before surgery, but surgeons are advised to allow sufficient drying time to avoid the possibility of fire.
Ron Cheng, the Murdoch family’s lawyer, said the fire damage “should never have happened.”
A spokesperson for Oregon Health and Science University had no comment to The Oregonian, which originally reviewed the court documents, due to patient privacy.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices reports that about 30 surgical fires per year cause disfiguring or incapacitating injuries to patients.
One or two of these fires lead to deaths, most often when they start fires in a patient’s airways and then the patient can no longer breathe.
The lawsuit names Dr. Adam Howard as a defendant.

An estimated 90 to 100 surgical fires occur annually in the U.S., and in most cases, incidents are preventable (stock image).
According to an Oregon Live investigation, Dr. Howard’s medical license was moved to an “expired” status about a year after Mr. Murdoch’s face allegedly caught fire.
While the OHSU website still lists him as a staff member, he appears to be working in West Virginia, where his license is active, and also appears to be an assistant professor at West Virginia University.
Along with Dr. Howard, Oregon Health and Science University is also listed as a defendant, as are 10 unnamed surgical staff members.
Murdoch’s obituary reveals that he worked in an auto parts store for many years.
Besides trucks and motorcycles, his other passions are camping, fishing, and “playing poker with his friends.”
It concludes: “John is survived by his wife Toni, his parents, his stepchildren, his brother and sister-in-law, his nieces, his nephews and a lifetime of friends.”