Wrong Kidney Removed in Surgical Malpractice Case

In a shocking case of surgical malpractice, a doctor at a Riverside California hospital removed a patient’s only healthy kidney.  The man is now left with no kidneys after the diseased one was removed following discovery of the error.

A multitude of errors led up to the final grave mistake, including failure to follow safety protocol, failure to properly communicate with the patient, who speaks Spanish, and forcing the patient to sign a consent form essentially granting them permission to remove the wrong kidney.

Perhaps of most concern, though, is the fact that the doctor who performed the botched surgery did not even have privileges at that hospital to remove either kidney.

Once the medical error was discovered, the hospital then removed the patient’s diseased kidney, leaving him with no functioning kidneys.

Not surprisingly the California Department of Public Health has gotten involved and is actively investigating the incident.  If the hospital is penalized, it may face fines of up to $225,000.

Additionally, it’s pretty certain that there will be a surgical malpractice lawsuit forthcoming, although none has been reportedly filed as of yet.  But certainly the doctors involved in this tragic error should be held accountable for their gross negligence.