Surgeon Fired After Getting Hospital Cleaner To Assist With Amputation

Picture for representation purpose / Alamy

A surgeon at a hospital in Germany was found to have utilized a staff cleaner to aid in a toe amputation.

The incident reportedly took place in 2020, and the West German surgeon in question was initially given a warning before being removed from their post at Mainz University Medical Center.

The local newspaper did not clarify whether the Mainz hospital had fired the worker.

Picture for representation purpose / Alamy

Thankfully, the patient experienced no problems as a result of the treatment.

The cleaner held the patient's leg while also offering the surgeon a swab, according to hospital officials.

Although the surgery was performed in the middle of the afternoon in a hospital crowded with doctors, the surgeon decided to seek the assistance of the cleaner instead of performing such a regular procedure alone.

Picture for representation purpose / Alamy

The patient, who was under local anesthesia for the procedure, started to feel uneasy as the surgeon got ready to amputate their little toe.

The surgeon asked for the cleaner, a young woman from a different company, to assist as they prepared to remove the appendage as they grew restless.

The woman has no experience in medicine.

Two doctors intended to do the surgery, but they were called away for emergency treatment, so another doctor stepped in.

When there was no trained helper available, hospital chief executive Norbert Pfeiffer told Allgemeine Zeitung that the surgeon chose to proceed with what was a fairly regular treatment despite not having the necessary support.

However, the cleaner was discovered in the operating room holding blood-stained gauze bandages, so the surgeon didn't get away with the smart workaround.

To make matters worse, Bild reported that the surgeon and cleaner were stopped mid-shortcut by none other than one of the hospital's directors, according to German broadcaster Südwestrundfunk.

The university hospital, according to Pfeiffer, regrets the "individual misconduct and failure of the specialist and senior physician" very much.

He remarked, "That shouldn't have happened," before adding the specialist doctor was fired following a hearing in front of the labor court.

Since then, Pfeiffer has reassured the public that Mainz University Medicine, which treats around 700,000 patients annually, is deeply devoted to patient safety.

Pfeiffer emphasized that the patient was not harmed in any way, shape, or form.