Rome Man's Jaw Wrongly Removed After Going To Hospital For A Simple Tooth Extraction

A man has been left with permanent disfigurement after a horrific medical mistake resulted in his jaw being removed instead of undergoing a routine dental procedure.

The 35-year-old man from Rome, Italy, had visited Policlinico Umberto I hospital on May 20, expecting to have a wisdom tooth extracted and a small cyst removed from his mouth.

However, instead of a minor procedure, he ended up undergoing major surgery that caused irreversible damage to his face and overall health.

The tragic error occurred when doctors performed a biopsy on the cyst in his mouth but mistakenly mixed up his test results with another patient’s. The other patient was suffering from a malignant osteosarcoma - an aggressive form of bone cancer affecting the jaw.

The man, who had been in perfect health, was given shocking news in June. His results incorrectly showed that he had a severe cancerous tumor that required immediate surgery.

Doctors informed him that the only way to treat the alleged tumor was to remove his jaw and follow up with chemotherapy.

The mishap allegedly took place at one of Italy's largest hospitals, Policlinico Umberto I Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images

Devastated by the misdiagnosis, he was told he had no other option but to undergo the aggressive treatment plan. This included having his jaw surgically removed and replaced with a reconstructed implant, followed by nine rounds of chemotherapy.

On July 22, he went through with the life-altering surgery. The procedure left him with permanent facial paralysis on the right side, which he says makes him feel “deformed.”

Then, in September, a follow-up test led to a shocking revelation. Doctors discovered that the cancerous tumor they had diagnosed no longer existed because it had never been there in the first place.

Growing suspicious of the conflicting medical reports, the man sought an independent DNA test on the biopsy sample. He had the sample analyzed by a separate lab at the Catholic University of Rome.

He recalled the moment he learned the truth, saying: "On October 25, the response arrived, the DNA is not mine,", according to L'Unione Sarda.

It was then confirmed that he had never had cancer at all, meaning the surgery that removed his jaw had been completely unnecessary.

The man had to have reconstruction surgery and an implant in his jaw Getty Images

Beyond the physical and emotional trauma he has endured, he is now deeply concerned about the other patient - the one who actually has the life-threatening tumor.

He expressed his fears, saying: "I no longer have a jaw and I don't have the tumor, but someone else is sick. Very sick,"

In an interview with Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, he further reflected on his ordeal: "Even now I cannot describe my state of mind. I am alive, I am healthy, I do not have any fatal disease, but I have suffered a great deal."

Now, the man is pursuing legal action against the hospital, seeking compensation for the devastating consequences of the mix-up. His complaint has been formally filed, and the Prosecutor’s Office in Rome is actively investigating the case.

Prosecutor Eleonara Fini has launched an inquiry to determine how such a severe error occurred and who should be held responsible for the negligence.

Unfortunately, this case is one of many examples of medical malpractice that continue to impact patients worldwide.

A legal complaint accuses the hospital of medical malpractice Getty Images

In another case, a 36-year-old man in Spain suffered permanent sexual dysfunction after doctors botched surgery on his penis, resulting in him receiving $50,000 in damages.

Meanwhile, a Florida man lost all four of his limbs after a routine kidney stone removal went horribly wrong. And in Milwaukee, a woman is preparing to sue a hospital after discovering that doctors had left a feeding tube inside her body, causing her severe stomach problems for 35 years.