French surgeon removes the wrong kidney

A surgeon at the Sainte-Anne hospital in Strasbourg in southeastern France has been suspended for five months after he mistakenly removed a healthy kidney from a elderly patient.

Reuters

The woman, said to be in her 70s, was due to have the left kidney removed after the discovery of a tumour, but instead the surgeon took out the right one.

The woman is reported to be in a stable condition and is receiving psychiatric counselling.

The surgeon, only identified as Dr G, says the error was due to the absence of X-rays on the day of the operation, but several doctors at the hospital had already expressed concern over his ability as a surgeon.

Dr G was suspended for six months in 2006 after an 18-year-old boy died on the operating table at a clinic in Reims in the east of France.

Six surgeons at Sainte-Anne’s hospital said they feared Dr G would “make the front pages of the local and national newspapers” at some point.

The director of Sainte-Anne’s explained that the hospital was aware of Dr G’s previous error, but said he had not been found guilty and they wanted to respect the ‘presumption of innocence’.

He added the surgeon had worked with no problems for the past two years at the hospital.