After undergoing an operation in another state to remove a breast, a woman was told an error had been committed. She had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and opted to have the affected tissue removed. After the operation, she was told that the diagnosis was wrong; she did not even have the dreaded disease. The woman has since filed a medical malpractice claim. A false medical diagnosis is an all-too-common occurrence in Ohio as well.
The story began when the woman consulted a doctor after finding a lump in her left breast. She was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma after the hospital pathologist apparently misread the results of her biopsy. In truth, she only had a condition called sclerosing adenosis, which is a harmless growth of the tissue of the breast.
The woman contends that the truth should have been discovered before surgery began. The surgeon signed a form stating that the pathology slides had been reviewed. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and no one had double-checked the pathologist to catch the mistake. After the surgery had been completed, additional testing was done on the tissue, which was then discovered to be benign.
The surgeon expressed his regret about having to tell the woman that he had needlessly removed completely healthy tissue. According to her statement, she was shocked and confused and is seeking answers as well as justice. She suffered additional issues from reconstructive surgery on the affected breast. The woman hopes to stop this from happening to anyone else.
In Ohio, when a person suffers injury because of a doctor’s misdiagnosis, he or she may choose to file a medical malpractice suit. A personal injury attorney can advise the victim as to whether grounds exist for such a claim. The lawyer can also guide the client through the civil claims process once a case has been filed.
Source: New York Post, “Doctor cut off my breast by mistake“, Carl Campanile By Carl, June 19, 2017