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Madrid urologist suspended for giving a vasectomy in error
Penal Court 16 in Madrid has sentenced a urologist to a year in prison and banned him from working for another year, considering he had committed a serious negligence on a 27 year old patient.
The patient went to the Virgen de la Paloma Hospital in Madrid in November 2004 to have his foreskin removed, but the urologist carried out a vasectomy without first examining the patient’s clinical history or speaking to the patient about the nature of the operation which was carried out under local anaesthetic.
When the patient got home later the same day he discovered that his foreskin was still in place. After the error was confirmed he underwent the correct procedure the next day and the same surgeon tried to undo the vasectomy.
The urologist blamed an error in the agenda for his mistake saying his secretary had written ‘vasectomía’ instead of ‘fimosis’ in his diary. He also claimed the patient should have said something.
But the court disagreed and has agreed with the suspension of the surgeon as proposed by the Patients’ Ombudsman.
The patient went to the Virgen de la Paloma Hospital in Madrid in November 2004 to have his foreskin removed, but the urologist carried out a vasectomy without first examining the patient’s clinical history or speaking to the patient about the nature of the operation which was carried out under local anaesthetic.
When the patient got home later the same day he discovered that his foreskin was still in place. After the error was confirmed he underwent the correct procedure the next day and the same surgeon tried to undo the vasectomy.
The urologist blamed an error in the agenda for his mistake saying his secretary had written ‘vasectomía’ instead of ‘fimosis’ in his diary. He also claimed the patient should have said something.
But the court disagreed and has agreed with the suspension of the surgeon as proposed by the Patients’ Ombudsman.
(You can find a photo for this story at Typically Spanish - Click here)