A surgeon in Austria has been fined 2 700 euros for amputating the wrong leg to a patient, who has later deceased, British news portal The Guardian reports.
According to statement on Wednesday, December 1, from a spokesperson for the tribunal in the northern city of Linz, the faulty surgery took place in May 2021 in the town of Freistadt. The 43-year-old surgeon explained that her actions were due to «human error» saying there had been a flaw in the chain of control in the operating theatre. However, the judge found her guilty of gross negligence and fined her EUR 2,700, with half the amount suspended.
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The surgeon had marked the wrong leg of the 82-year-old patient for amputation ahead of the operation and noticed noticing the mistake two days after carrying out the surgery. The court awarded EUR 5,000 in damages plus interest to the widow of the patient, who died before the case came to court.
The guilty person has since moved to another clinic and can appeal against the judgement. Meanwhile, the management of the institution involved said in a statement that «the causes and circumstances of this medical error have been analysed in detail», internal procedures discussed with the team and training provided, The Guardian reports.
Surgeon in Austria fined for cutting off wrong limb
