A woman is suing her doctor after allegedly removing the wrong body part during surgery. This is not the first incidence of serious malpractice in the operating room.
Surgeon Sued
In Oct. 5, 2016, Dena Knapp underwent a surgery to remove her adrenal gland and a mass on the organ. According to the lawsuit, her surgeon, Dr. Scott Baker, was informed by the pathology department of the Avera McKennan Hospital later that same day that it was her healthy kidney that was removed and not the adrenal gland, but that on Oct. 7, he informed Knapp that he had not heard from the pathology department.
On Oct. 11, Baker called Knapp to inform her that her adrenal gland was still inside her body and that he “did not get everything,” stating that she needed to have another surgery. When she did have the second surgery, Knapp opted to have it at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester where the surgery was a success. Both the adrenal gland and the associated mass were removed.
Unfortunately, as a result of having her healthy kidney removed, she had been suffering from a progressive kidney disease, and she is said to be experiencing depression, mental distress, pain, and fatigue. She is said to also be struggling to perform many functions to the point that she has to hire services just to maintain her home.
Further, local news states that she spent over $96,000 and lost over $42,000 in earnings because of her condition.
Botched Surgeries
If proven to be accurate, Knapp’s case just adds to the list of botched surgeries that led to life changing consequences. In other recent cases of botched surgeries, some resulted in debilitating conditions, while others even resulted in death.
In 2016, a doctor removed a woman’s ovaries without her consent because they were “getting in the way” and he thought he was doing her a favor. Due to the pain brought on by her bowel problems and her distress from suddenly losing her ovaries, she was later found hanged in her attic.
A Russian woman also died after surgery after medical staff at the hospital gave her formaldehyde instead of a saline drip after a laparoscopic procedure to remove ovarian cysts. Although doctors realized the mistake and tried to save her, her organs were already failing and she eventually died. She was practically embalmed alive.
In Georgia, a woman who only wanted Botox and anti-wrinkle treatment was convinced to get a liposuction. Unfortunately, her heart stopped eight hours into the surgery and the ill equipped clinic had to call 911. Because of many more delays in getting her to the hospital, she suffered from serious and permanent brain damage. The doctor responsible for her surgery has had her license suspended after multiple reports of botched surgeries, and of her singing and dancing during surgery.
