Medical malpractice has long scared thousands of people. It has become the subject of the news, and talks of many. While some people do it in whispers, there are others who broadcast it in the hopes of inspiring the other victims to step up and take action. Medical malpractice is terrifying for both the patient and the medical practitioner as a licensed which he worked hard for may easily be voided upon finishing the case and finding the medical practitioner guilty of medical malpractice. On the other hand, it is equally disturbing for the victim because of the extremity of the injury it has caused him, as well as the damages and lost opportunities. Here are some of the most horrifying cases of medical malpractice:
1. Wrong Artery, Bypassed!
USA Today reported in 2001 what could be one of the most popular cases of medical malpractice which happened to Saturday Night Live alumni, Dana Carvey. Roughly two months after the double bypass operation which was done to supposedly save his life, Mr. Carvey was informed that the surgeon had bypassed one of the wrong arteries. According to the surgeon who performed the surgery, it was an honest mistake which could have occurred due to the unusual positioning of Mr. Carvey’s artery in his heart. However, Dana Carvey felt quite differently about the situation, and filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against the surgeon and the hospital.
2. Not That Cup!
Alexander Baez is a former Mr. Mexico and a runner-up for Mr. Universe. He is a bodybuilder so it is usual for him to be very concerned of his physique. So, in 1999 he decided to get pec implants. However, when he awoke from his surgery, he realized that he was actually given breast implants, and not pec implants. It was later found that the person who performed the surgery was a con artist.
3. Hey, I Think There’s Something In My Chest.
Daryoush Mazarei had an item left behind inside his chest which was a retractor, 10 inches long. Since it was in depth, he was told he should seek psychiatric care. After a month of agonizing pain, multiple complaints, and repeatedly being told the problem was in his head, Marazei was finally given a CT scan, and the item was discovered and eventually removed.
4. Ugh, I Think The Hole Should Be On The Other Side?
Surgeons at the Rhode Island Hospital performed surgery on the wrong side of a patient’s head, for the third time in one calendar year. It occurred in November of 2007 when an 82 year old patient required the operation to stem the flow of bleeding from her brain to her skull. The surgeon immediately started the procedure off but wrongly drilling a hole on the wrong side of the patient’s skull even if the CAT scan indicated that the bleeding was happening on the left side of the brain. It was a good thing that the mistake was caught early on, and the resident surgeon was able to close the initial hole before proceeding to the correct side of the patient’s head.
5. I’m Not That Type.
Jesica Santillan, a 17 year old girl died 15 days after receiving a heart and double-lung transplant. Jesica was blood type O, but she received organs from someone who was blood type A.
Author Bio
Loren is a Law Student at a leading univerity in New York. In her free times she is quite actively involved in online discussion on various Legal topics.She occasionally contributes articles to Sexner MMP, a leading medical Mal Practices Attorneys in Chicago. Click Here to find out more about them.