A woman in Florida had her kidney removed by mistake. Accidents happen in hospitals and sometimes they involve things like large veins getting sliced. But for one woman, "mistake" took on a whole new meaning when an experienced surgeon spotted her kidney during back surgery and removed it. The mistake? He thought it was a tumor.
Woman wakes up with more than she expected after surgery
The Palm Beach Post reported that Maureen Pacheco had a vehicle accident and went to the hospital for a surgical procedure to fuse some bones in her spine. However, she awoke from the anesthetic to discover she had gotten more than she expected.
Her kidney had been removed and this is kind of hard to understand. Fox News notes that while cutting open the woman to prepare her for the operation a surgeon saw the kidney. Thinking it was a tumor, it was removed. And to make the "mistake" worse, the surgeon was not even the one doing the spinal operation. They note that he was just meant to be opening the patient up.
The Miami Herald reported that "a complaint" was filed by the Florida Department of Health against Dr. Ramon Vazquez, a West Palm Beach doctor." This was because when he spotted the "tumor" he didn't "do any biopsy." He simply took it out. He was sued, but the one thing taken into account was that she did suffer from a kidney condition.
Known as a “pelvic kidney,” the organ never "ascended" to where it was meant to be.
Florida Doctor may face disciplinary action after kidney removal
Dr. Vazquez could be fined, disciplined in some other way, or undergo at least some correctional period. The surgeon had a clean record and was never previously disciplined. Vasques has not admitted to any medical malpractice, but it could even cost him his license, in a worst-case scenario.
The best he can hope for will be to have a fine slapped on him.
Fox News noted that the doctor has some responsible positions. He "has served as chairman of surgery at Palm Beach Medical Center since January — and also has privileges at St. Mary’s and Good Samaritan medical centers, as well as Bethesda Memorial Hospital."
Mistakes in hospitals
Mistakes cost the USA millions of dollars every year.
But, one that probably was the worst in recent times happened in Kenya, Africa. In March 2018, doctors operated on the wrong patient at the Kenyatta National Hospital. Due to mislabelling, they carried out brain surgery on a patient to remove a clot that wasn't there. The BBC noted that "the neurosurgeon, ward nurse, theatre receiving nurse and anaesthetist - had been suspended."
