Hospital Horror Stories: Surgical Apparatus left in Patient after Surgery!

A patient came into the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital after a traffic accident with a fracture of the hip and was sent to surgery. The orthopedic surgeons are in a group of two. The two orthopedists see all of the orthopedic injuries at this hospital. Despite other doctors wanting to share the load the administrator refuses to let any one else see the orthopedic patients.

The doctors work 24 hours on and 24 hours off. Well all was going okay until the patient with the hip fracture was transferred to another hospital. As is the protocol for the hospital admitting the patient, an x-ray is taken of the injured area on admission. This new x-ray showed some surgical apparatus, a tube to drain the wound, was left inside of the patient with the injured hip.

The other orthopedic doctors have cried out to the Henry Mayo administration to open up the emergency room to orthopedic care for other doctors at the hospital. The administration, as in the past, has refused once again. The Henry Mayo hospital medical staff feels the two orthopedic doctors are too tired to safely operate on patients in a sleep deprived haze. The apparatus in the hip was removed at another hospital and patient did well except for having to endure another surgery!!