The Telegraph reported that a British man who was scheduled to have a different procedure might not be able to have children after doctors operated on the “wrong site,” and was wrongly given a vasectomy. A vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control.
Dr. Peter Williams, Royal Liverpool University Hospital medical director, said in a statement that, “We can confirm a patient who was scheduled to have a different minor urological procedure was wrongly given a vasectomy.” According to The Huffington Post, Dr. Peter Williams reported that, “We have apologized unreservedly to the patient and we are offering him our full support. We greatly regret the distress this has caused him.” Royal Liverpool University Hospital is investigating the situation to determine exactly how the patient, who remains anonymous, ended up having the wrong procedure.
During a vasectomy, according to Independent UK, the tubes that carry sperm from a man’s testicles to the penis are cut, blocked or sealed. It is possible for a vasectomy to be reversed, but the success rate is around 55%. According to the Houston Fertility Institute, the success rate of reversing a vasectomy is generally between 40 and 50 percent.
Lawyers have reported that according to the Telegraph, the patient could be looking at up to a six-figure settlement. “In a worst-case scenario — sterility in a younger man with no children — the trust might be liable for a figure in excess of £100,000 ($170,000) in compensation,” a clinical negligence lawyer at Slater & Gordon, Ian Cohen, told the newspaper according to the Huffington Post.
“Since this incident, the surgeon has not been carrying out any operations, pending the findings of the investigation. In addition we are carrying out routine checks on compliance with the WHO checklist and our surgical teams are compliant,” reported Dr. Peter Williams’s medical director of the Trust, according to Independent UK.
According to official statistics, in December 2013, the Telegraph reported that more than 150 patients had suffered from botched procedures over a six-month period.
Image credit: www.clickondetroit.com