surgeon drops a bollock

[derbydan]

A patient lost a testicle during an operation after the surgeon accidentally cut it off, the medical watchdog has been told.

Dr Sulieman Al Hourani was only supposed to cut out a cyst on the patient's right testis, but instead he "mistakenly" removed the whole testicle, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard.

Dr Al Hourani, who worked as a locum surgeon at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester, is accused of misconduct over the error and faces further charges of injecting himself with a drug meant for a patient and stealing tablets.

The medic, who is now practising in Jordan, is not present or represented by lawyers at the Fitness to Practise Panel which is hearing his case at the GMC in Manchester. The panel decided to proceed with the case in his absence as he had been notified of the hearing but chose not to "engage" with the GMC or appoint lawyers to represent him.

Sarah Prichard, counsel for the GMC opening the hearing, said a man, known only as patient A, had gone into hospital for the cyst to be removed on September 5 2007.

He was the first patient of the day and his medical notes made it "perfectly clear" the procedure was to be "excision of right epididymal cyst".

Ms Prichard added: "The theatre staff will tell the panel that their impression of what happened was that Dr Al Hourani had mistakenly removed the testicle rather than the cyst and expressed him(self) rather quite surprised the testicle rather than that which the patient had consented for was removed.

"Staff had no discussion or issue raised by Dr Al Hourani in the procedure as to why he was changing from excision of a cyst to removal of a testicle."

Ms Prichard said the mistake was made as one nurse helping the surgeon turned her back to get a stitch and when she turned around the testicle had been removed.

An investigation was launched and the doctor was dismissed by his employers, Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, who ran the hospital.

[vicky-27]

So...he's one of these now then

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