Legal news for Arizona medical malpractice attorneys. A trial is underway for a man who says his testicle was wrongly removed.
Arizona medical malpractice attorneys alert- A lawsuit says the University Medical Center wrongfully removed a testicle.
Tucson, AZ—The University Medical Center (UMC) is embroiled in a lawsuit that accuses the hospital for wrongfully removing a man’s testicle. On May 8, 2007, Kenneth “Ryan” Irby was put under anesthesia under the impression that his surgeon was going to conduct a biopsy on his right testicle and would have it removed only if it proved to be cancerous, as reported by the Arizona Daily Star.
When the 23-year-old man woke up, he found that his testicle was gone and believed it was removed because it was cancerous. A week later, during a follow-up appointment, Irby was told his biopsy was negative—he didn’t have cancer. As a result, Irby sued the University Physicians Healthcare, which is currently under trail in Pima County Superior Court.
During the trial, Irby told jurors that the ordeal began on April 27, 2007, after an alcohol-related rollover crash. After arriving at the UMC he began experiencing pain, but attributed it to the wreck. Irby testified that a few hours later the hospital called alerting him that they had found a mass and that it could be cancerous and needed a biopsy. Dr. Jonathan Walker told Irby during the May follow-up appointment that there was a mass on his left testicle and a calcium buildup on his right one. Dr. Walker later corrected himself during a second ultrasound and said that the mass was actually on his right testicle. On May 8, Irby said that a biopsy was discussed again with the doctor, in which he said the only reason he would remove the testicle if it were cancerous. Walker allegedly told Irby that he was going to perform an “excisional biopsy,” or a biopsy after the testicle was removed, but Irby contended that is not true. Irby was later told the mass was a hematoma.
The UPH attorneys say Irby “knew there was a 5 percent chance the mass was benign. They also say he knew doctors couldn’t perform a biopsy without removing the testicle for fear of spreading any cancer.” Hospital records also contradict Irby’s testimony, which indicated Irby told a nurse that he was at the hospital to have a testicle removed.
The trial is underway.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Arizona medical malpractice lawyers.
