Sunday, August 05, 2007

Surgeon operates on the wrong arm

A civil engineer has been left with both arms in plaster after a surgeon operated on the wrong one.

Simon Savage, 26, is considering suing the hospital where his healthy right arm was confused for his injured left limb.

The medical mix-up happened despite arrows having been painted on him which pointed to the elbow requiring treatment.

Mr Savage only realised what had happened when he came round from anaesthetic and noticed his right arm encased in plaster.

He said: “I shouted to the nurse 'I think he’s operated on the wrong arm’. Then the doctor came in and said he was really sorry.”

It had been intended to take tendon material from his right wrist and insert it into the painful left elbow.

But during the operation at Rotherham District General Hospital tendon material was taken from his left wrist and transplanted into his right elbow.

Mr Savage, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, may now face the rest of the year of work and is taking legal advice.

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