Teen loses leg after possible medical botch-up
A surgeon reported himself to prosecutors after a teenagers leg had to be amputated.A new experts opinion concluded that the medic may have failed to diagnose a circulatory disorder after the 15-year-old boy underwent a routine operation at the LKH Clinic in Bludenz, Vorarlberg, after a leisure time accident last month.Doctors had to remove his lower leg after the post-operative disturbance of the blood supply.The Feldkirch state prosecution said today (Weds) they started to investigate the occurrences. The institution is tipped to press negligent bodily harm charges against the surgeon in charge.There has been no information on whether the doctor was suspended after the possible errors and his decision to indict himself.The news comes around half a year after a surgeon who faced a long jail sentence for mistakenly removing a pensioners healthy leg got away with a fine.The 61-year-old physician was ordered to pay a 10,000-Euro penalty and 5,000 Euros to the victim, a 91-year-old woman, after his error which occurred at a hospital in St. Johann, Tyrol.