Ashdod Hospital Operates on Wrong Leg

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — An Israeli man who underwent surgery on the wrong leg is threatening to sue Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, according to a media report.

The 55-year-old man was brought in to Assuta Kalaniot Medical Center after injuring his left knee in a work accident.

When he woke up after anesthesia, he discovered to his horror that they had operated on his right leg!

Though it happened six months ago, it only made Thursday’s news report on Mako.

“How does such a blunder happen? They had all the documents and it was clear they had to operate on the left leg,” he told the network.

The patient went through a rehabilitation process but still suffers from pain and will likely need to undergo additional surgery.

He is now threatening to sue the medical center, for 575,000 shekels ($166,000).

Assuta admits that they got the wrong leg, but claims that the anesthetist wrote in the medical file that he had spoken with the patient before the surgery and “he agreed the operation is on the right leg.” The patient disputed that.

Assuta told Mako that it had received the patient’s letter and “will respond accordingly vis-a-vis the patient’s representative.”

Assuta is a network of private hospitals and medical centers that belongs to Maccabi, one of Israel’s four health funds.