German surgeons operate on woman’s bowels instead of leg
When it comes to a surgical mistake, this incident may take the cake: A 78-year-old German woman went into the hospital last month to have surgery on her leg. Because of a mixup, Frankenpost reports that she left the Hochfranken-Klinik in Münchberg, Germany, with an artificial anus.
The paper says some members of the surgical team have been punished in connection with the series of mistakes that led them to operate on the wrong patient.
Prosecutors are said to be looking into the incident. As for the unidentified patient, she still needs knee surgery and plans to file a lawsuit.
By the way, there is such a thing as an “artificial anus.” Shosaburo Abe and Yoshikatsu Abe filed a patent application in 1991.
Here are some of the headlines we came across while researching this posting:
• Bit of a bummer
• Pensioner gets bum’s rush on op
• Leg operation turns into a pain in the A..
• Hey doc, leave my butt alone!
• Leg op woman gets bum dealThe headlines make light of the woman’s misfortune, but medical errors are a real problem in the USA and other countries.
Link to original news story in German. Anyone here speak German? 
(via boingboing)
