Hospital mistakenly removes man's prostate

By Rha Hae-sung

Misdiagnosis: The prostate removal operation in October left scars on the man’s abdomen. / Yonhap

Ajou University Hospital is under fierce fire for a misdiagnosis that led to the removal of a man’s prostate gland in October.

The man, 68, was diagnosed with stage-three prostate cancer in September and had the prostate removed in October. But it was a misdiagnosis. The hospital realized that a different patient’s biopsy was mistaken for the man’s on Nov. 1, 10 days after his discharge from the hospital.

“It was a misdiagnosis,” a hospital spokesman said. “We removed the prostate from a patient who wasn’t supposed to go through the removal operation.” After the operation, the man said he was incontinent and had to wear a diaper.

“How can a university hospital make this kind of mistake?” the man said. “The removal operation caused my urine to drip uncontrollably and it completely ruined my dignity.”

The hospital is also in hot water over compensation for the patient, as it limited it to 20 million won ($18,500). The hospital “urged” the patient to choose between the money or resolving the issue through the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency.

The hospital is under suspicion of deliberately delaying notification of the incident to buy time.

The man and his family are considering legal action.

The hospital has disciplined the doctor in charge of its pathology department and its staff.

The Suwon hospital recently drew attention after its trauma specialist Lee Guk-jong treated a North Korean soldier in his 20s who defected to the South on Nov. 13. South Korean soldiers saved the man after North Korean soldiers shot him.