"Realization of Mistake Two Days After Surgery"…80-Year-Old Patient's Wrong Leg Amputated in Austria

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A controversy has arisen in Austria where an octogenarian patient had the wrong leg amputated during surgery. The patient was originally scheduled to have his left leg amputated, but due to a marking error before the surgery, he lost his right leg.

According to DPA news agency and others on the 20th (local time), an 82-year-old man, Mr. A, underwent left leg amputation surgery on the 18th at Freistadt Hospital near the Czech border. Mr. A’s legs were both in poor condition due to multiple illnesses, but the left leg was in such a severe state that amputation was necessary.

However, due to a hospital error, Mr. A’s right leg was amputated instead of the left. The hospital reportedly did not realize this medical mistake until two days after the surgery, during a bandage change.

Regarding this, the hospital stated, "We publicly apologize." They also said, "We need to find out how this incident happened," and are conducting an internal investigation.

Meanwhile, Mr. A is currently receiving psychological treatment and is scheduled to undergo left leg amputation surgery. The hospital said, "We plan to proceed with the surgery soon."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.