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Freistadt in Austria: Surgeon sentenced to fine after amputation of wrong leg

2021-12-02T09:01:29.816Z


Instead of the left leg, a surgeon amputated a patient's right leg. A court in Linz has now sentenced her to a fine for “gross negligence”. She now works in another clinic.


For amputating the wrong leg of a patient, a surgeon in Austria was sentenced to a fine of 2,700 euros, half of which was suspended.

The 43-year-old doctor was guilty of grossly negligent bodily harm, the Linz regional court ruled on Wednesday.

In the proceedings, she merely admitted that she had "made a mistake" but denied that she was "grossly negligent".

The case concerned an 82-year-old patient who had since died and had a thigh amputation on his left leg.

Before the operation in Freistadt, the surgeon had marked the right leg and only noticed the error two days after the amputation when changing the bandage.

The doctor argued that this was a case of "human error" and that the controls over such interventions were inadequate.

She now works in another clinic.

The court awarded the patient's widow, who appeared as a joint plaintiff, 5,000 euros in compensation for pain and suffering.

The verdict is not yet legally binding.

The doctor and the public prosecutor's office can appeal.

tfb / AFP

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2021-12-02

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