Connecticut residents would likely be horrified to learn that the wrong organ was removed from their body during surgery. That is the situation that a 55-year-old man is facing after a CT scan showed that he had a cancerous kidney. But instead of removing the right one, the left one was removed instead, leaving the cancer-ridden kidney still inside the man. He and his wife have filed a medical malpractice suit so they can recover compensation for the doctor’s negligence.

They are suing the urologist and radiologist for gross negligence after they misread the scan and removed the incorrect kidney — the healthy one. The Texas man had to have a portion of his right kidney removed in March 2013, a month after the left kidney was removed. While he is currently cancer-free, his kidney function is limited. He cannot receive a transplant until he has been cancer-free for four more years. If the cancer returns, he could face dialysis or drugs.

The situation is upsetting to the medicine management company chief executive officer, who was anticipating a fun-filled retirement. Now he lives in fear that he could get an infection or worse yet, his cancer could return. His kidney could stop working at any moment and if it does, he will be unable to financially support his family. That is why he is seeking damages exceeding $1 million.

A doctor’s negligence can cause not only physical harm but emotional trauma as well. When doctors make a surgical error, this can negatively affect a patient for the rest of his or her life. Medical malpractice suits may be able to bring financial relief in what could be very dire times.

Source:  Star-Telegram, “Arlington family files malpractice suit after wrong kidney removed” Elizabeth Campbell, Jun. 12, 2014