SURGEON FINED FOR AMPUTATING WRONG LEG

A surgeon in Austria has been fined after amputating the wrong leg of a patient earlier this year. The elderly patient’s right leg was removed instead of his left. The mistake was noticed two days later during a routine bandage change and the patient was told he would have to have his other leg amputated as well. He died not long after the second surgery. On Wednesday, the court in Linz found the 43-year-old surgeon guilty of gross negligence and fined her $3,000, and also awarded the man’s widow $5,600
in damages. The patient entered the clinic last May to have his leg amputated but the surgeon marked the wrong limb for amputation. In court, the surgeon said there had been a flaw in the chain of command in the operating theater. When asked why she had marked the right leg and not the left, she said: “I just don’t know.”
* Well, you know women and their wacky sense of direction!
* “Sir, about your operation the other day – we have some good news and some bad news. Well, actually, there’s no good news.”
* She had a pretty good chance of getting the correct leg the second time.
* Although I would have counted my fingers after the second surgery.
* Some people practicing medicine need more practice.
* Just $3,000? Boy, does Austria have a thing or two to learn about malpractice awards.