UCI Medical Center patient loses left leg after undergoing routine knee surgery

• February 28, 2025

A Perris electrician who checked into UCI Medical Center in 2024 for routine knee surgery is suing the University of California Board of Regents, alleging the surgeon and medical staff made a series of reckless mistakes and misrepresentations that led to amputation of his left leg.

Wayne Wolff, 58, was scheduled to undergo a standard outpatient procedure to repair his meniscus by the hospital’s head of sports medicine and UC Irvine team doctor Dean Wang.

But during surgery, the doctor mistakenly severed and cauterized what he said was a vein, but turned out to be a main artery, according to the lawsuit, filed Feb. 11. Despite Wolff’s intense pain and the lack of a pulse in his left foot, the problem went undiscovered for days by other hospital staff until it was too late to save the leg, the suit alleged.

Also filing the suit is Wolff’s wife, Lisa, a veteran emergency room nurse who suspected something was wrong but couldn’t get staff to listen.

“I look forward to adjudicating the case in front of the court and jury, in a public trial,” said the couple’s attorney, Jeoffrey Robinson. “The public deserves the right to hear this and, simply put, this should never happen to anyone again.”

The suit alleges negligence, abuse or neglect of a dependent adult, loss of consortium and infliction of emotional distress. It seeks unspecified damages.

A spokesperson for the medical center said it had no comment on the pending litigation.

According to the suit, Wolff checked in on April 3, 2024, for the arthroscopic surgery at the hospital’s Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He does not have cancer and no one had warned Wolff of the potential for losing his limb or his life.

After Wang mistakenly cut what he said was a blood vessel, it took 35 minutes to control the bleeding, the suit said. When the surgery was complete, Wang allegedly told Lisa Wolff that he had “nicked a vein” and allegedly understated the amount of blood Wayne had lost, according to the suit.

What Wang had cut was the popliteal artery, which supplies blood to the left lower extremity.

“Plaintiffs allege that Dean Wang, MD, intentionally misinformed plaintiff Lisa Wolff of the character and severity of the injury caused during the surgery,” the lawsuit said, adding that Wang knew or should have known that the extensive bleeding indicated he had cut an artery.

Wayne Wolff was admitted to the post-anesthesia care unit to recover, unaware of the extent of the damage to his leg. Even as his pain intensified and his leg grew worse without adequate blood flow, he was not immediately relocated to an intensive care unit, but was instead moved for several days between post-anesthesia units, despite Lisa Wolff’s protestations, the suit said.

Meanwhile, Wang left for a two-day conference, turning Wolff’s care over to resident doctors who did not spot that his leg was, in essence, dying.

Wolff was in so much pain, screaming and crying, that he was put at one point on a cocktail of Dilaudid and ketamine intravenously, and Oxycodone 15 mg, to no avail. But no medical effort was made to determine the source of the pain, the suit said.

When Lisa Wolff stressed that the pain was not consistent with the type of operation her husband received, one doctor suggested he had abused narcotics at home, the suit said.

Wayne Wolf’s condition continued to worsen, his leg swelled, his skin was cool to the touch, he couldn’t move or feel his foot or toes. But his wife’s requests for an ultrasound were consistently denied, according to the suit.

Finally, two days after surgery, a doctor ordered an ultrasound — but it was later canceled by Wang, the suit said. Other doctors would not reinstate the ultrasound.

When Wolff’s sodium level dropped dangerously, his wife renewed her efforts to get him moved to an intensive care unit. After being allowed to stay overnight with her husband, Lisa Wolff was asked one night by two nurses to leave or be removed by security, the suit said.

On April 6, Wang again operated on Wayne Wolff and “inaccurately and recklessly” told his wife it was discovered that Wayne had suffered a blood clot in his artery, the suit said.

A vascular surgeon performed another surgery in an attempt to repair the leg and determined there wasn’t a blood clot but that the artery had been fully severed during the original surgery.

“Dean Wang, MD, never attended to plaintiff Wayne Wolff’s most glaring custodial care need — seeking out the source of his unbearable pain,” the suit said. “There is little doubt the use of simple imaging, such as an ultrasound, would have saved his leg. His most basic need was ignored, and recklessly neglected.”

When Wang told Lisa Wolff that her husband’s leg needed to be amputated, she asked why tests were not ordered to explore the lack of pulse or the origin of his extreme pain. According to the suit, Wang replied, “I don’t know.”

Lisa Wolff then asked Wang why he canceled the ultrasound that was ordered by another doctor.

The suit said Wang again responded, “I don’t know.”

​ Orange County Register 

After a warm week, cooling trend and rain is on the way across Southern California

• February 28, 2025

After a few days of warm weather, meteorologists expect temperatures to cool down and light rain to roll in across Los Angeles and Orange counties and the Inland Empire on Friday, Feb. 28, and through next week.

Orange County and the Inland Empire

Light and scattered showers are expected to start Friday evening into Saturday, with no chance of accumulation until around 10 p.m. Friday into the morning, said Paul Steward, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service San Diego. Accumulation isn’t expected to be more than a tenth of an inch.

High temperatures in the Inland Empire are expected to reach the mid-70s on Friday. In Orange County, highs could drop to the low- to mid-60s along the coast and reach around 70 degrees in the inland portions of the county.

Temperatures will continue to drop over the weekend, with high in the low- to mid-60s in the Inland Empire, and Orange County seeing coastal highs around 60 degrees and highs in the low-60s in inland cities. On Monday, temperatures could cool further, with highs in the mid- to upper-50s across the region before warming up a bit Tuesday.

“Temperatures all of next week are going to be right around the seasonal average or a tiny bit cooler,” Steward said. “From the warm temperatures we’ve had over the last couple of days, it’s going to feel a lot cooler.”

Another low pressure system is expected to move in Sunday, bringing another tenth of an inch scattered across the Inland Empire and Orange County. The rain will start with a light drizzle early Sunday, with the chance of rain increasing across the region in the later hours and into Monday morning.

Some lingering showers are expected Tuesday before another low pressure system moves in Wednesday. Meteorologists don’t yet know the timing of the precipitation Wednesday through the rest of next week.

Steward cautioned drivers to be careful on the roads Saturday, as the overnight rain could create slick conditions.

Los Angeles County

Communities across Los Angeles County can expect a “pretty sharp cooldown,” in temperatures Friday after a Thursday where highs across the area were in the 80s, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Los Angeles. On Friday, highs are expected to be in the low- to mid-70s, while weekend highs will cool to the 60s.

There’ll be an ongoing chance of rain across the county starting Friday through most of next week, Kittell said.

Some areas could see light rain Friday night into Saturday morning. About 60% of the area could see light rain pick up again Sunday. There is an additional possibility of showers Monday night into Tuesday and Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Another storm system is expected to move through Wednesday and could continue into Thursday, bringing light to moderate rain to about 70% of the area.

None of the predicted showers bring a possibility of heavy rain or flooding to the region, Kittell said.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Thursday, Feb. 27

• February 28, 2025

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Thursday, Feb. 27

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

THURSDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

NONLEAGUE

Segerstrom 2, Century 1

SOFTBALL

ONTARIO CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT

Diamond Ranch 12, Crean Lutheran 1

MAYFAIR TOURNAMENT

Saint Joseph 12, Katella 0

NONLEAGUE

Beckman 18, Laguna Hills 1

Sonora 7, Whittier Christian 3

Trabuco Hills 14, Foothill 9

Yorba Linda 2, Esperanza 1

Pacifica 5, La Habra 2

Sunny Hills 3, Walnut 0

California 9, Kennedy 2

Tesoro 8, Segerstrom 0

Northwood 6, San Juan Hills 3

Villa Park 6, Capistrano Valley 4

BOYS TENNIS

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Northwood 14, St. Margaret’s 4

University 16, Portola 2

Woodbridge 18, Laguna Beach 0

NONLEAGUE

El Dorado 11, Servite 7

Beckman 16, San Marcos/Santa Barbara 2

Godinez 10, Century 8

Huntington Beach 10, Mater Dei 8

Yorba Linda 11, Orange Lutheran 7

Magnolia 13, Orange 5

Kennedy 13, El Modena 5

Rancho Alamitos 11, Santa Ana 7

Los Amigos 9, Garden Grove 9 (LA wins on games, 83-74)

Oxford Academy 18, Western 0

Whitney 14, Valencia 4

BOYS GOLF

NONLEAGUE

Orange 266, Katella 315

BOYS LACROSSE

NONLEAGUE

Downey 11, Segerstrom 1

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers trying to build chemistry amid roster changes, injuries

• February 28, 2025

Something seems to have changed within the Clippers.

They appear to have lost some of the chemistry and energy that put them on solid footing to start this season and in position to avoid the play-in tournament in the congested Western Conference. With a handful of new faces and minor injuries, they recently lost three games in a row for the second time this month and have picked up only one win in February against a team other than the Utah Jazz.

Gratefully, that skid ended with Wednesday’s much-needed victory against the Chicago Bulls, the first game in 26 days in which the Clippers never trailed by double digits.

“We had to win a game going back home,” Clippers star James Harden said in an on-court interview.

The Clippers have a chance to start another winning streak Friday when they face the red-hot Lakers in the first of two consecutive games at Crypto.com Arena.

So what changed? For starters, Kawhi Leonard’s highly anticipated return from knee issues on Jan. 4 disrupted Coach Tyronn Lue’s rotation and the in-game flow the rest of the Clippers had developed in the season’s first 34 games. Suddenly, the team had to solve the complexities of how to integrate the future Hall of Famer while handcuffed by his limited minutes.

Leonard had not played since their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks last April and seeing him back on the court was cause for celebration for the Clippers and their fans.

At the time, Lue emphasized the need for caution and tamped down expectations by likening Leonard’s first several games to a preseason, maybe even a training camp. Lue said it would be a slow process.

Yet, the difference in the Clippers before and after Leonard’s return can’t be placed solely on the oft-injured star. In 16 games, he is averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals. He missed two games this week because of a foot injury but came back to post 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 33 minutes against the Bulls.

“I thought Kawhi was good,” Lue told reporters in Chicago. “Couldn’t really get into a real flow because of all the zone they play, but overall, I thought he did a pretty good job.”

Injuries took some of the shine off the first two months, causing Lue to juggle his lineups.

Harden missed one game because of a foot injury and Kris Dunn sat out eight games with a sore knee. Norman Powell is expected back for Friday’s game against the Lakers after missing four games because of patellar tendinopathy.

Then came the trade deadline, when the Clippers dealt fan favorite and reliable bench player Terance Mann, along with Bones Hyland, to Atlanta for guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, and acquired veterans Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills in exchange for P.J. Tucker and Mo Bamba.

They signed versatile point guard Ben Simmons as a free agent and added shooting guard MarJon Beauchamp in a trade that sent Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks. Porter had earned a stable spot with the Clippers’ second unit.

The Clippers (32-26) have 24 regular-season games to regain their health, chemistry and spark before worrying about the playoffs.

CLIPPERS AT LAKERS

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: ESPN, FDSN SoCal, Spectrum SportsNet, 570 AM, 710 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Update: Wind advisory for Tehachapi and 5 freeway through Grapevine until Thursday night

• February 28, 2025

Tehachapi and 5 freeway through Grapevine are under an updated wind advisory which was issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 5:50 p.m. The advisory is in effect until 10 p.m.

The NWS Hanford CA says to anticipate, “East winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.”

“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the NWS said. “Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.”

​ Orange County Register 

Caden Dana works 3 perfect innings and Angels rally to tie Cubs

• February 27, 2025

THE GAME: Kyren Paris hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth to help the Angels to a 4-4 tie against the Chicago Cubs in a Cactus League game on Thursday in Mesa, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Caden Dana pitched three perfect innings, striking out three, against a team full of Cubs major leaguers. In his first outing, Dana gave up three runs and couldn’t make it through his two innings. This time, Dana said he was focused on a mechanical tweak he made between starts. “It helped my fastball and gave me confidence through everything else,” Dana said. Dana was starting in place of Jack Kochanowicz, who was sick this week. … Right-hander Hans Crouse pitched a perfect inning, striking out two. Crouse has retired all six hitters he’s faced this spring, striking out five.

HITTING REPORT: Tim Anderson hit a homer, his first hit of the spring. He also walked. A two-time batting champ, Anderson is in camp as a non-roster invitee. He has a chance to be the Angels’ starting shortstop while Zach Neto is out. … Nelson Rada singled and then hustled to beat a seemingly routine force at second. … Paris now has two game-tying hits in the ninth inning in the first week of spring training. He sparked the Angels’ comeback in the first game of the spring last week. “You can see the growth right in front of you,” Manager Ron Washington said. “It’s a totally different guy than last spring.”

DEFENSE REPORT: Shortstop Scott Kingery ranged to his right to make a nice backhand play on a grounder. He then threw on the run to first to get the out. … Kingery and Anderson, the second baseman, collaborated on a quick turn to get an inning-ending double play in the fifth.

UP NEXT: Game 1: Chicago White Sox (RHP Jonathan Cannon) at Angels (LHP Reid Detmers), Friday, 12:10 p.m. PT, at Tempe Diablo Stadium, FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM; Game 2: Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi) at Dodgers (RHP Dustin May), Friday, 5:05 p.m. PT, at Camelback Ranch, Glendale, Ariz., SNLA

​ Orange County Register 

Anaheim man sentenced to 2 years in prison for attempting to lure 12-year-old into his car

• February 27, 2025

A 47-year-old Anaheim man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for attempting to lure a 12-year-old boy into his car in Anaheim.

German Reyesramos pleaded guilty Jan. 28 to two counts of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a specified offense and one count of possessing child pornography, all felonies.

Police were dispatched about 9:30 a.m. Feb. 13, 2024, to the 2900 block of West Orange Street, about two-tenths of a mile east of Beach Boulevard, for a reported attempted kidnapping, police said.

The suspect asked the boy if he wanted a ride while holding a bundle of money, police said. The boy refused and called 911.

Reyesramos was arrested while driving a tan 2002 Dodge Durango SUV, which police suspect was the same vehicle used in the attempted abduction, police said.

The defendant approached another boy on Feb. 20, 2024, according to the criminal complaint.

The defendant accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Chris Duff.

​ Orange County Register 

Chris Kluwe says he was fired from Edison High School football coaching job following MAGA protest

• February 27, 2025

Chris Kluwe, the former NFL punter who garnered national attention this month for his protest against a plaque at the Huntington Beach Central Library with a MAGA reference, said Thursday he had been fired from his coaching job at Edison High School.

Kluwe, a former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, had coached freshman football for five years at Edison, part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. He said he was called into a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27, with Edison’s athletic director and the assistant principal of supervision, “And they said … based on what’s going on we just feel it’s too much attention and we have to let you go.”

Kluwe said he was offered the chance to resign, but he told them no “because I wanted people to see what MAGA actually means for a community and that this will not make our community better, it’s taking away a resource from the kids.”

School officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kluwe was detained by police officers after he took a few steps toward the City Council dais following his public comment at the Feb. 18 Huntington Beach council meeting. During his address to the council, he argued a plaque to be installed at the Central Library with a MAGA acrostic is “propaganda” and the MAGA, or Make America Great Again, movement spurred by President Donald Trump “stands for hate, and fear, and the idea that we should have a king instead of co-equal branches of government.”

Police arrested him for disrupting an assembly.

Kluwe said he believes a coordinated campaign reached out to the school to push for his dismissal, adding that the school made a “cowardly decision” to bow to pressure.

He said it’s a loss for the students because he was a coach with NFL experience.

Kluwe said he expected to be back next year coaching special teams.

A longtime resident of Huntington Beach, Kluwe grew up in Seal Beach and attended Los Alamitos High School. He played as a punter with the Minnesota Vikings for eight years. He’s had a long history of activism on various issues and was a vocal supporter of marriage equality during his NFL tenure, before same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the U.S.

​ Orange County Register