FIR against Vascular Surgeon for operating on wrong leg of patient at Rajkot Hospital

Rajkot: A vascular surgeon at Unicare Hospital in Rajkot has been booked for performing an alleged alternative leg surgery on a 20-year-old patient without obtaining her consent. The patient claimed that the procedure was unexpectedly performed on her right leg instead of her left, without any prior notification which left her with severe pain for the past 6 months.

The complainant stated that she suffered minor injuries to her left leg and sought surgical treatment at the hospital for that leg. However, she claimed that the doctor operated on her right leg instead, only informing her father at the last minute about a lump discovered in her right leg. Later, an MRI scan revealed surgical damage to a nerve near her right knee.

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Although the hospital authorities refused the allegations claiming that they informed the patient and her family in detail about the procedure, a medical committee formed by Rajkot Civil Hospital reviewed the case and found the surgery on the right leg was questionable suggesting the possibility of medical negligence in the case.

Based on the committee's findings, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing grievous hurt by rash or negligent actions that endanger human life and booked the doctor.

As per the TOI news report, the incident happened after the woman found the existence of Unicare Hospital online as it is known for accepting Ayushman Bharat cardholders. Therefore, she approached the hospital and consulted with a vascular surgeon regarding her decade-old minor injury sustained during Ganpati Visarjan.

It is to be noted that she had previously consulted a doctor and was under medication which did not improve her condition but her pain became even worse over time. This prompted the treating doctor to advise her regarding consultation with a vascular surgeon.

After listening to the advice, she consulted with this doctor at Unicare Hospital who initially prescribed a five-day course of medication. As it failed to alleviate the pain, the doctor then recommended her surgery which was conducted under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

On April 24, the woman was admitted to the hospital and the operation was performed the following day. During the operation, the doctors informed her father about a lump in her right leg. Instead of allegedly obtaining consent from her or her parents, the doctors continued with the surgery on her right leg instead of her left.

Following the surgery, she was discharged from the hospital on April 26. She began experiencing severe pain in her right leg following which she contacted the doctor who performed the surgery. According to her statements, the doctor reportedly advised her to rest for six months without conducting further tests. However, she was not satisfied with the result and again consulted her previous treating doctor, who recommended an MRI. The scan revealed surgical damage to a nerve near her right knee.

According to the complainant, she approached the hospital with the documents to prove her claims but the hospital authorities refused to accept the allegations and provided an unsatisfactory response.

The hospital's administration officer, Kartik Sheth told TOI, "The initial admission was for a left leg condition. Following diagnostic reports, we discovered complications in both legs. The right leg condition necessitated additional surgery, which was undertaken after thorough consultation with the patient and her relatives. No objections were raised by the patient either during or after the procedures. The patient filed a police complaint six weeks after the procedures, despite attending regular follow-ups during this period without expressing any concerns. We maintain proper documentation with signatures from both the patient and family members, obtained after a detailed explanation of all relevant papers."

In disagreement with the hospital's statements, she filed a complaint at Gandhigram Police Station, which subsequently sought an expert opinion from a committee formed by Rajkot Civil Hospital.

The panel's report highlighted that the need for surgery on the right leg was questionable. While confirming the possibility of medical negligence, the panel’s findings stated that medical negligence could not be ruled out, and the justification for the surgery itself was suspicious.

"We cannot deny the possibility of medical negligence in the popliteal artery entrapment syndrome surgery performed on Sapna Patodiya's right leg. The indication for the surgery is also under suspicion. Upon verification of records for preauthorization and package approval, we found that one surgery was preauthorized and the package was approved," said the report.

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