Given how surgery can permanently alter the body, you’d expect all surgeons to be extra careful about performing the correct procedure. Unfortunately, a patient in Wisconsin received a different surgery than the one that was explained to them pre-operation. Specifically, the patient was undergoing a FTM transgender top surgery and had agreed to a double incision, but when the operation was over, they quickly realized that something wasn’t right.
“When I took the bandages off for the first time, I saw they did keyhole,” the patient explained on Reddit. For reference, double incision would have removed much of the breast tissue they wanted gone, while keyhole only slightly cut out the area. “I don’t understand what made them think to perform this on me,” OP said, confused. When they returned to the surgeon and explained that they received a different operation than the one they agreed to, the doctor said he would perform a revision surgery if he “deemed it necessary,” but they’d “have to pay out of pocket.”
“I think they did this hoping I’d pay them more money to fix it,” expressed the patient. After all, it was clear that they were told they would receive a specific surgery prior to the operation. They said they’d likely visit another surgeon to do the revisions on their chest; however, they would only be able to afford the costs years from now. “The emotional agony this has caused me has been terrible,” they moaned. Feeling powerless, they questioned if there was anything they could do legally against the clinic and doctor who botched their important surgery procedure.
“Malpractice lawsuits are heavily fact-dependent and an uphill battle more often than not,” explains a top-upvoted commenter. That said, if the patient still wants to pursue legal action, then gathering all the evidence possible and speaking to an attorney would be the right move. Several more commenters chimed in agreement, asking if OP had the surgical notes, medical records, or any other proof of them agreeing to what they had initially requested.
“Their consent form said double incision, while mine used medical jargon to describe it,” OP said in a reply. They also added that their boyfriend can confirm that they were given the wrong information at the pre-op. Still, it looks like the patient doesn’t have the strongest evidence to work with, but hopefully, they’ll persist, and the guilty surgeon will be accountable for his grave mistake.
