Can you say oops...
 

Yahoo! News
Two patients in surgical slip-up

Mon Jan 16, 9:55 AM ET

South Korean doctors mistakenly removed part of the stomach of a patient due to have thyroid surgery, while removing the thyroid gland of another scheduled for stomach surgery, a hospital official said Monday.

The surgical mix-up took place at Konyang University Hospital in the city of Taejon, about 150 km (95 miles) south of Seoul and involved two women in their sixties who were both in for surgery the same day, hospital spokesman Kim Man-sik said.

Medical staff found out about the mix-up, which took place on December 29, only after they were filing paperwork on the two women, he said.

Doctors later performed the correct surgical procedures on both women and re-attached the part of the stomach they had removed from the patient with the thyroid problem, Kim said.

Both were recovering from their operations, he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060116/...E0BHNlYwN0bWE-


One question, how do you replace a thyroid gland? My guess is you don't. I smell a law suit!

It always surprises me how often we hear about these things.

What's even better is that how doctors mixed up the patients? Don't they look at the charts? Ask the patient their name? Check with them if they know what procedure they're getting?

I can't say opps, but I can say oops! :D

actually, considering the volume of surgeries performed every day, it's actually kinda crazy )to me anyways) that this doesnt happen more...

I mean, look at McDonalds, your lucky if you get what you order going through the drive through, now obviously doctors are more careful than McDonalds personell, but the point is, we're all human and apt to make mistakes.


now, during the one surgery I had, I talked to the doc before hand and made sure I mentioned appendix several times, and made sure he nodded and smiled several times...

good doctor tho, wasn't offended, admitted that even though he was a doctor he too made mistakes from time to time and was happy to humor me :)

lol!

@ziadel
i dont think it's a doctors job to scare the patient anyway.. good for him! :)


and, i cant remember, but i dont think there are lawsuits in korea.
i dont even think there are laws in korea...

all korea has to offer is basic human rights and a constitution...

thats about it.

i think only large scale crimes like murders go to court and stuff