[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed\/","headline":"When the Wrong Body Part Is Removed","name":"When the Wrong Body Part Is Removed","description":"There are certain things that should never happen when you are in a hospital\u2019s care. These things are called \u201cnever events\u201d for precisely that reason. They include operating on the wrong body part,\u00a0leaving instruments\u00a0or\u00a0sponges behind in a surgical patient, and surgery performed on the wrong patient, among other things. These events represent the greatest failures possible in medical...","datePublished":"2013-06-30","dateModified":"2026-05-07","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/author\/kelley-johnson\/#Person","name":"Kelley Johnson","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/author\/kelley-johnson\/","identifier":35,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62ea8bbf737d997a737de0b59d28a202a2f010bc1081f2ca6f356f6d9949be07?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62ea8bbf737d997a737de0b59d28a202a2f010bc1081f2ca6f356f6d9949be07?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Medmalpractice-Logo-1.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Medmalpractice-Logo-1.svg","width":0,"height":0}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed.jpg","height":338,"width":507},"url":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed\/","about":["Medical Malpractice Law"],"wordCount":449,"articleBody":"There are certain things that should never happen when you are in a hospital\u2019s care. These things are called \u201cnever events\u201d for precisely that reason. They include operating on the wrong body part,\u00a0leaving instruments\u00a0or\u00a0sponges behind in a surgical patient, and surgery performed on the wrong patient, among other things. These events represent the greatest failures possible in medical care and should be treated with a swift and heavy hand when they occur.Such an event recently came to light from one of the nation\u2019s most well-known hospitals\u2014Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Although the hospital hasn\u2019t released the patient\u2019s name, the doctor involved, or when the event happened, their sharing of what information they\u00a0have\u00a0made public is a step in the right direction.According to\u00a0NBC New York, a 76-year-old man had two diseased kidneys, one of which was scheduled to be removed in surgery. However, when the patient went under the knife, the surgeon in charge performed surgery on the wrong body part, resulting in the removal of the wrong kidney from the elderly man.Repercussions for Surgical ErrorsThe hospital administration has said the surgeon no longer works there\u2014that he had been let go. They also say they apologized to the patient but that the patient still has \u201cenormous faith\u201d in the surgeon who reportedly helped the patient with an earlier bout with bladder cancer.\u201cThis event should never have occurred,\u201d said a spokesperson. \u201cWe apologized to the patient, and we will do all we can to ensure that something like this never happens again.\u201dJust because this sort of mistake is known as a \u201cnever event\u201d doesn\u2019t mean that it never happens. As a matter of fact, such mistakes are more common than we likely know. As ABC New York reports, a similar mistake was made in 2008 at a Minneapolis hospital when a surgeon removed the wrong kidney when he was distracted by beeper calls.We expect surgeons and all\u00a0hospital staff\u00a0to have our care at the forefront of their minds whether we are going in for surgery or a check-up. To know such a serious error can be made when a doctor is distracted by his beeper is troubling indeed.Though mistakes like this should never happen, they do. And when they do, you need someone on your side that can help you recover.Indianapolis Hospital Malpractice LawyerIf you or a loved one is the victim of malpractice, the\u00a0Indianapolis medical malpractice attorney at the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson may be able to help. Contact us today for a free consultation on your case by calling 833-4MEDMAL."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"When the Wrong Body Part Is Removed","item":"https:\/\/www.medmalpractice.law\/blog\/when-the-wrong-body-part-is-removed\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]