Blundering NHS doctors chop off 62-year-old man’s testicle after routine operation to remove swelling went wrong
- Patient had booked in for 30 minute op to remove swelling known as hydrocele
- He claims doctor left drain in his testicle for 24 hours which became infected
- Patient lodged complaint against Furness General Hospital in Barrow, Cumbria
A 62-year-old man has been left without a testicle following a routine NHS operation, in a blunder that has prompted an official investigation.
The unnamed man was originally diagnosed with a hydrocele, a common and non-harmful type of swelling in one of his testicles.
He was booked in at Furness General Hospital in Barrow, Cumbria, for a 30-minute procedure to drain the lump.
But an error by a consultant urologist meant he had to go back under the knife a day later to have the whole thing removed.
When he woke up, he was shocked to see his right testicle was missing – as he claims he hadn’t been told exactly what he was going back into theatre for.
The man has been left with a painful lump where the organ was and is taking daily painkillers as a consequence of the surgery.
Doctors had to chop his testicle off after it became infected following the routine procedure at Furness General Hospital in Barrow, Cumbria (pictured)
A 62-year-old man has been left without a testicle following a routine operation to remove swelling (file)
After the first operation by Dr Ashutosh Jain, a syringe used to drain the fluid was left in his testicle, which he claims was not checked or emptied for 24 hours.
Doctors rushed him back into theatre for a second operation after the organ became infected.
The man, whose case is being investigated by bosses of the hospital, said: ‘I looked down and saw I was missing a testicle.
‘I didn’t know what to say; I was just in shock. A consultant took me for an ultrasound and said “I’ve never seen such a bloody mess in my life”.’
The patient went to see his GP earlier this year with a painful swelling on his right testicle.
After being referred to hospital, he was diagnosed with a hydrocele, a swelling that occurs when fluid collects in the thin sheath around a testicle.
In April, Mr Jain took the man into theatre at Furness General Hospital in Barrow, Cumbria, to drain the fluid from the testicle.
But when the patient woke up after the surgery, he found a drain had been put in to remove more fluid.
Although patients can usually go home on the same as a hydrocele repair op, the man had to stay in hospital for 12 days.
Mr Jain carried out the first procedure but there is no suggestion the second doctor did anything wrong and the testicle had to be removed due to infection.
The patient has lodged a formal complaint to the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
In July, the complaint was upgraded to a serious clinical incident and hospital bosses have launched an investigation which is due to be completed by the end of October.
UHMBT medical director Shahedal Bari said: ‘We’ve spoken and apologised for the delay. We have confirmed that due to the thoroughness of the investigation that is taking place, it is still ongoing.
‘We will keep him informed as to the progress of the investigation, and once completed we will share the report with him.’
WHAT IS A HYDROCELE?
A type of swelling in the scrotum that occurs when fluid collects in the thin sheath surrounding a testicle.
Hydrocele is common in newborns, affecting around 10 per cent, and usually disappears without treatment by age one.
Older boys and adult men can develop a hydrocele due to inflammation or injury within the scrotum.
A hydrocele usually isn’t painful or harmful and might not need any treatment.
Usually, the only indication of a hydrocele is a painless swelling of one or both testicles.
Adult men with a hydrocele might experience discomfort from the heaviness of a swollen scrotum.
Pain generally increases with the size of the inflammation.
See your doctor if you or your child experiences scrotal swelling.
It’s important to rule out other causes of the swelling that might require treatment.
Get immediate medical treatment if you or your child develops sudden, severe scrotal pain or swelling, especially within several hours of an injury to the scrotum.
These signs and symptoms can occur with a number of conditions, including blocked blood flow in a twisted testicle (testicular torsion).
Testicular torsion must be treated within hours of the beginning of signs and symptoms to save the testicle.
Source: Mayo Clinic
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