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Florida surgeon ‘devastated’ over death of patient after removing liver instead of spleen
(www.theguardian.com)
Thomas Shaknovsky botched the surgery of William Bryan, 70, who died on the operating table
According to Shaknovksy’s deposition, after removing Bryan’s liver, the surgeon instructed a nurse to label the organ as a “spleen” – and he also identified it as a spleen in Bryan’s postoperative notes. Shaknovsky later said he had been “mentally compromised” at the time of Bryan’s death, explaining that he was “devastated, demoralized, crying over his passing, felt that I failed him”.
Yeah there's a reason they have kinda long checklists when doing operations.
People have had the wrong leg cut off etc. Although that's perhaps a more understandably a bureaucratic mistake instead of a surgeon mistaking a liver for a spleen. But granted, I've never cut into the human body so even though they're pretty distinct in graphics, once covered in blood and whatnot they might not look so different. Idk. But I think he should have.