Man Sues Surgical Team for Removing the Wrong Testicle

By Brittany Golledge

Published on October 18, 2005

The plaintiff, Johnny Gibson, initially sought treatment for severe pain in his left testicle. He elected to have the testicle removed in June of 2003. Following surgery, he was surprised to find that doctors at St. Mark's Hospital had removed the right testicle and left the damaged testicle intact. According to the complaint, Gibson alleges that he asked the surgeons to mark his left testicle prior to surgery, but his requests were ignored. He also claims that his testosterone levels dropped dramatically after the surgery, forcing him to undergo testosterone replacement therapy.

Gibson believes that the testosterone replacement drug prescribed by his doctors put him at an increased risk for developing prostate problems. According to the lawsuit, he was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer following the surgery.

The lawsuit names several doctors and nurses, an anesthesiologist, and St. Mark's Hospital. Attorneys for Gibson allege that the hospital failed to properly instruct and train its employees and should have followed procedures for marking surgical sites. The hospital has had no comment on the pending litigation.

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