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A Texas hospital is under fire for performing an unintended partial vasectomy on a 4-year-old child.
The harrowing incident occurred after the young boy was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston following complaints of swelling and pain near his private parts.
Doctor Susan L. Jarosz, a medical professional at the facility, recommended that the toddler undergo a right inguinal hernia repair to treat the area, but the surgery quickly took a horrifying turn.
At some point during the procedure, Jarosz also cut the vas deferens, a long muscular tube that transports reproductive semen out of the testicles.
According to Randy Sorrels, an attorney representing the family, the damaging medical malpractice could affect the young boy “for the rest of his life.”
“It’s not a common mistake at all,” Sorrels told Fox 11 News. “Before a doctor transects or cuts any part of the anatomy, they are supposed to positively identify what that anatomy is and then cut. Here, the doctor failed to accurately identify the anatomy that needed to be cut. Unfortunately, cut his vas deferens. That wasn’t found out until it was sent in for pathology.”
Oddly, Jarosz’s medical records show that she has no previous reports of malpractice.
After the procedure, Jarosz and the risk management team at Texas Children’s Hospital did inform the family of the short and long-term implications associated with the medical mistake “including reduced fertility,” ABC13 noted. They also apologized for their negligence, but Sorrels said there needs to be full “accountability” taken. The family is now suing Texas Children’s Hospital and Jarosz.
“The family’s biggest concern is how this might affect their child physically, on the ability to have children in the future, and emotionally,[Along with] having to explain this to a potential partner who you are going to have children with,” Sorrels added.
“Texas Children’s Hospital’s top priority is the health and well-being of our patients. Due to patient privacy requirements, we are unable to comment.”
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