Erroneous Removal of Healthy Lung Leads to Death of British Man

John Turner told his family doctor in the summer of 2006 that he was experiencing chest pains and unexplained weight loss. Tests were ordered and were interpreted to suggest that Turner, 61, suffered from asbestosis in his right lung and that mesothelioma had developed. In the hope of extending his life by as much as three more years, Turner’s lung was removed.

A pathological examination of a biopsy of the removed lung revealed a healthy organ, with no sign of cancer and therefore no need for removal. Turner’s team withheld this news from the patient and his family.

Turner never fully recovered after the lung-removal surgery and died five months later. His cause of death is listed as bronchial pneumonia, a complication of asbestosis and the surgery itself. Turner’s family was told of the erroneous diagnosis only after Turner’s death.

Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos. Patients with asbestosis often develop a specific type of lung cancer, mesothelioma.

Saying he cannot pronounce a “verdict of misadventure” on the part of medical personnel involved in the Turner case, Deputy Coroner Alan Sharpe does say the case tragically illustrates the problems that can arise when doctors fail to communicate fully. The hearing at Barrow Town Hall resulted in a narrative verdict for the defendants.

Turner’s widow, Margaret, says her entire family has been disappointed by the system and in this incident that has ripped her family apart.

Source: Daily Mail UK

Filed under: Cancer, Lung Cancer, Medical Error, Mesothelioma, Odd MedNews