A woman had to leave the hospital with a missing kidney as the doctor mistook the pelvic kidney to a tumour. Maureen Pacheco settled a lawsuit over the error by Dr Ramon Vazquez, who was tasked to fuse together parts of the 51-year-old’s spine at a Florida hospital.
The Doctor says that the hospital didn’t inform him that the patient had a pelvic kidney.
However, The case has been settled on his behalf for a “nominal amount”, according to his lawyer Mark Mittelmark, who stressed the doctor did not admit liability in admitting to a settlement.
Florida’s department of health has now filed an administrative complaint against Dr Vazquez, a process that could result in penalties ranging from losing his medical license to being fined. It is understood he does not have medical malpractice insurance, so any payments will be made from his own pocket.
