A prominent New York surgeon has had his privileges suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the removal of the wrong kidney in a recent botched operation. Mount Sinai Medical Center is investigating the surgical errors and a hospital spokesperson says that it ‘never should have happened.”
The 76-year-old patient has expressed support for the doctor who saw him through a bout of bladder cancer in earlier years. He says he has forgiven the surgeon for mistakenly removing the wrong kidney, forcing a second operation to remove the diseased organ. The man was on dialysis prior to the surgery and will now be forced to continue dialysis for the remainder of his life unless a suitable transplant is possible.
There has been no word on how the mistake occurred. Surgical errors in which wrong organs are removed are not common but do happen from time to time. Usually these errors result in life-changing problems for the patients and may entail tremendous additional medical costs.
A medical malpractice attorney may represent a victim of surgical error. Victims may be entitled to payment of several types of damages from the responsible doctor and the hospital where the surgery was performed, as well as other healthcare professionals involved in the procedure. Victims may be able to recover extended medical costs related to the error, expenses associated with recuperation and therapy, lost wages and sums for pain and suffering in addition to payments for loss of abilities or use of body parts. If the surgeon was negligent in performing the operation, the victim may also be entitled to punitive damages.
Source: CBS News, “Wrong kidney removed at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City“, Ryan Jaslow, May 10, 2013
