Man Left With Constant Pain And Medical Problems After Doctors 'Removed The Wrong Organ' During Surgery

72-year-old George Piano, who went in for surgery at the University of Washington Medical Centre after being diagnosed with appendicitis.

George Piano and his wife, Betsy, live in Washington. Law Offices of Edward H. Moore, P.C.

Despite the operation in December 2022, George continued to experience abdominal pain.

To his surprise, subsequent scans revealed that, instead of removing his appendix, the surgeon mistakenly took out part of his large intestine.

After being neglected for too long, George experienced even worse pain as his bowel leaked into his abdomen.

This added complication led to an infection, forcing him to undergo four surgeries and use an ileostomy bag.

Living with constant pain for months, he ended up with a substantial abdominal wound resembling the size of a pool ball as a result of the necessary operations.

He is suing a hospital and two of its doctors for malpractice for allegedly removing the wrong organ during surgery, nearly costing him his life. KIRO 7

Taking legal action, George is suing the hospital not just for the surgical mishap but also for the consequential delay in his cancer treatment.

Seeking damages, he has named surgeons Nidhi Udyavar and Paul Herman in the lawsuit.

While the exact amount remains undisclosed, George's attorney, Ed Moore, notes that comparable cases have seen damages ranging from $500,000 to $3 million.

Talking about his experience, Mr. Piano told KIRO 7:

"It's been a year of hell.

"I'm not the same person I was when this started.

KIRO 7

"But I feel very lucky I am still alive.

"We didn't want it to happen to someone else.

"Someone needed to put a stop to this and take responsibility and say this happened, we need to take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Post-incident, Mr. Piano reports heightened anxiety, short-term memory loss, and a weight loss of 40 pounds.

In court documents, he emphasizes that these issues were nonexistent before the botched surgery.

The aftermath required weekly home health physical therapy sessions and nurses monitoring vital signs at his residence.

An appendicitis operation going awry is exceedingly rare, considering that around 250,000 Americans undergo surgery for the condition annually, highlighting the exceptional nature of George's unfortunate ordeal.

KIRO 7

A University of Washington spokesperson told UNILAD: "UW Medicine strives to provide the best possible care to all of our patients.

"Their safety and well-being is deeply important to us. We are not able to comment on the specifics of the case."