Patient Loses Kidney Due to Mistaken MRI at Russian Oncology Center

In Buryatia, doctors at an oncology dispensary confused MRI results between patients and removed a healthy kidney, according to People of Baikal.

A 65-year-old patient explained that she was referred to the dispensary after an oncomarker was detected in her tests. She underwent an MRI, which doctors interpreted as showing a nine-centimeter tumor in her kidney. A surgery was scheduled, and her kidney was removed.

Mistake Discovered After Biopsy

After the operation, it was revealed that the MRI belonged to a different patient. The error came to light when the woman received the biopsy results of the removed organ from the Irkutsk Diagnostic Center, confirming that no tumor was present. The oncology dispensary acknowledged the mistake.

Investigation and Patient Demands

The republic’s Ministry of Health stated that a medical council should have reviewed the case before surgery, but this did not happen. Additionally, preoperative kidney ultrasounds indicated no tumor, but the information was not reflected in the medical system, and the examination protocol was not passed to the surgeon. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case. According to Number One newspaper, the affected patient demands either a donor kidney transplant or financial compensation for the harm caused.