A medical accident occurred at a first-class hospital and the affiliated hospital of Youjiang Nationality Medical College of Baise, Guangxi. A parent in the area reported that their child’s left knee was supposed to have a bone tumor removed but the doctor mistakenly operated on the right knee tissue instead. On May 16th, the topic of “Doctor Mistakenly Operates on Athlete’s Knee” trended on social media, sparking a wave of commentary criticizing the hospital’s absurd and outrageous error.
The mother of the individual involved explained to Xinjing News on May 15th that their 17-year-old child, who excels in athletics and specifically in track and field, had occasional pain in the left knee. The swelling in the left knee was visibly apparent, with the bone protruding, even larger than an egg. The surgery was meant to remove a cartilaginous tumor from the left femur.
According to the account, at the end of March, the child sought treatment at the orthopedic department of the joint surgery at the Beidong branch of the Youjiang Nationality Medical College.
“On March 27th, before the surgery was completed, the doctor came out and told us that he made a mistake and operated on the right knee.” The surgical records showed that both the preoperative examination and diagnosis indicated the left knee, yet the surgical record documented the removal of the tumor from the right knee.
A bone tumor is an abnormal swelling within the bone, typically appearing as a cystic or papillary lesion. They can be benign or malignant, with most cases being benign. In some instances, these abnormal growths can rupture, releasing foreign substances that may lead to infections in surrounding tissues.
In diagnosing a bone tumor, doctors usually perform physical examinations, imaging studies like X-rays and CT scans, as well as pathological biopsies. Treatment often involves surgical removal as the primary method, accompanied by potential drug therapy as additional treatment; the prognosis for most bone tumors is good, although complications from other associated tumors may affect the outcomes. Patients should be vigilant with regular check-ups and follow-ups to promptly address any potential issues.
Online users reacted strongly to the incident, with comments flooding in:
“Why operate on the right knee if the issue is with the left knee? What will happen to this 17-year-old athlete’s future? Can compensation solve all the problems in his life?”
Many users expressed disbelief, “This is beyond belief, if it’s not the right knee, then what did the doctor operate on?”
“Doubts are cast on the doctor’s basic medical knowledge. Can’t they differentiate between normal and pathological conditions? Or is it so blatant that they made the mistake?”
“I had surgery on my leg before, the attending doctor saw me, arranged the surgery, and in the evening, to my surprise, an assisting doctor who didn’t know which leg to operate on showed up! He actually asked me which leg and requested that I mark where to be operated. I asked him if he didn’t review the case file?”
“I don’t understand, with such an obvious swelling in the left leg, couldn’t the main surgeon see it? One doctor’s mistake, and all the other doctors and nurses also made mistakes?”
“It shows that the doctor never examined the patient’s condition. Even if they can’t differentiate left from right, how could they miss such a large issue? It was probably a last-minute decision, with someone hastily brought in to perform the surgery.”
“This type of injury is irreversible. It’s a pity the patient had to endure this.”
“I wonder if the child will have postoperative complications? Can they guarantee there won’t be any issues?”
“Remember the name of this hospital; such oversights indicate serious deficiencies in their management. Never go to this hospital for treatment in the future.”
“Such incidents are happening too often in hospitals nowadays, all for the sake of making money.”
The relevant personnel from the hospital involved attributed the incident to internal management issues and expressed willingness to negotiate compensation.
In response, online users questioned, “Can compensation make up for the loss of a young athlete? Can the wrong leg grow back? Can a casual ‘management issue’ explanation cover the severity of a medical accident?”
“To brush it off as a management issue, to shift responsibility, to seek a quick resolution, it’s too casual and understates the seriousness of the medical mishap.”
Frequent medical accidents like retained surgical instruments, wrong blood transfusions, wrong surgeries, medication mix-ups are occurring in mainland China hospitals, causing doubts among patients. How can patients trust and confidently entrust their lives and health to them?
The hospital officials involved mentioned, “We will try to complete the surgery for the other side (left knee) as required. From our perspective, there shouldn’t be any lasting effects on the right knee (of the child) at the moment.”
The Baise Municipal Health Commission stated to mainland media that they have intervened in addressing the complaint from the family.
Many online users emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating the incident to provide answers to the victim and society.