A Texas finance worker and fitness enthusiast has launched a medical malpractice lawsuit against a surgeon she trusted for over a decade, claiming a routine knee operation left her with debilitating chronic pain and a future she no longer recognises.
A Trusted Surgeon and a Routine Procedure
Jenna Frerichs, 34, first met Dr Mark Sanders, a foot and ankle specialist who runs his own clinic in Houston, in 2013 after a volleyball injury. He successfully fixed her right knee, and their professional relationship spanned more than ten years. So, when mild pain returned to the same knee in 2023, the active professional, who spent her weekends hiking, running five miles, or in the gym, naturally returned to Dr Sanders.
Fearing the pain would worsen and limit her mobility, Frerichs, after research and consultations, agreed to an arthroscopy in February 2023. This common procedure, performed about one million times annually in the US, typically involves tiny incisions to remove problematic tissue or bone.
Waking Up to a Shocking Reality
Frerichs told the Daily Mail she awoke from surgery to find a four-inch scar across her knee, far larger than the small punctures expected from an arthroscopy. The post-operative report stated no complications occurred. However, as the anaesthesia wore off, she experienced pain worse than her original injury or any pre-surgery discomfort.
Instead of being on crutches for a few days as anticipated, she needed them for nearly two months. She described a persistent "catching sensation" followed by sharp pain with every step, and court filings detail "radiating leg pain" and a "popping and clicking sensation" when walking.
"My life split into before and after that surgery," Frerichs said. "I thought I’d wake up with the same knee I walked in with. Instead, I woke up to a future I didn’t recognise, one marked by pain, physical limitations, and a loss I’m still learning to live with."
Investigation, a Second Surgery, and Legal Action
When her concerns about the pain and incision were dismissed at a post-operative meeting, Frerichs sought a second opinion. In April 2023, another surgeon performed an investigative arthroscopy. According to an expert report by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Stephanie Stephens, this procedure found bone missing from the knee and retrieved a small metal fragment large enough to require tweezers.
Dr Stephens suggested the large incision indicated Frerichs had undergone an arthrotomy—a more invasive procedure where the joint is fully opened—not the simple arthroscopy to which she consented. Discrepancies were also noted in the operation's recorded duration between the surgeon's and nurse's reports.
In August 2023, Frerichs underwent a cartilage and bone transplant to reconstruct her joint, which alleviated the worst symptoms but left her with chronic pain and activity restrictions. Running remains virtually impossible.
She filed her lawsuit in April 2024, alleging an unauthorised procedure caused significant harm. After giving a deposition, Dr Sanders' legal team offered a $200,000 settlement in May 2025, contingent on a non-disclosure agreement. Frerichs refused, citing a desire for transparency and to highlight perceived shortcomings in Texas law, which caps non-economic damages in malpractice cases at $250,000.
She is now fundraising to take the case to a jury trial, with a deadline of 8th January 2026. Dr Sanders has denied all allegations. In his deposition, he stated the surgery was not an open arthrotomy but an arthroscopy that utilised an old scar to avoid creating multiple new incisions.
"I sued because I still don't feel like I know what happened to me while I was under anesthesia. That's what makes this so painful," Frerichs said. "For me, it’s never been about the money. It’s about justice, transparency, and trying to make something meaningful out of something that was honestly devastating and life-changing."
