Doctor Accidentally Removed Testicle And Tried To Hide It

Just hearing the words ‘testicle removal’ is enough to make many people cringe. However, there are instances where removal of one or both testicles may be medically necessary. Unfortunately for one man who went into surgery to have a cyst removed, he woke up with one less testicle. To make matters worse, the doctor tried to cover up his mistake.

An unnamed patient, 60-years-old, went in for a routine surgery at the BMI Chiltern Hospital, in Great Missenden, England, two years ago. He was going for a keyhole surgery to repair a hernia, and to remove a cyst. During the surgery, Dr. Marwan Farouk accidentally chopped off the man’s testicle before ‘chucking it’ in the waste bin.

After the surgery, the patient noticed something was different. When he asked Dr. Farouk, the doctor did not tell him that he’d removed a testicle. Instead, he told the man that he’d simply had a small right testicle. The man knew something wasn’t right. “It was memorable for a 60-year-old man to be told he had a small testicle,” said the patient. “Mr. Farouk was not suggesting there was a major disparity or major disfigurement. It took me aback as it was not something I had ever been aware of.”

During a medical hearing, Dr. Farouk claimed he did not realize that he’d removed the testicle. According to the tribunal report, Dr. Farouk had removed the testicle and placed it on the operating table. After the operation was completed, a nurse asked if the testicle should be sent off for testing. Instead, the doctor picked up the testicle and tossed it in the bin with the used medical waste bin.

Apparently, Dr. Farouk later recognized his mistake. However, when he went back to try and retrieve the severed testicle, the nurses had already disposed of it along with the other waste in the sharps bin. During the hearing, Dr. Farouk said he did not record the removal and disposal of the testicle because he did not recognize the specimen to be a testicle. However, the tribunal did not believe Dr. Farouk’s version of the story, and removed him from practice.

“The tribunal rejects your evidence on the basis that as an experienced surgeon, even on a cursory examination, you must have recognized the specimen for what it was. The tribunal heard evidence that you picked up the specimen from the table and examined it visually and manually before disposing of it in the sharps bin. The tribunal considers it highly improbable that you did not recognize it as a testicle.”

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of suspected malpractice, and the hospital refuses to give you a straight answer, the Gilman & Bedigian team of experienced attorneys here to help. We are fully equipped to handle the complex process of bringing a medical malpractice claim. Our staff, including a physician and attorneys with decades of malpractice litigation experience, will focus on getting you compensation, so you can focus on healing and moving forward with your life.