WINDSOR, Ontario, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A Canadian hospital has attributed human error to the unnecessary removal of a woman's breast in Windsor, Ontario, last November.
At a news conference, Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital Chief Executive Officer Warren Chant said the unidentified woman was initially diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to Dr. Barbara Heartwell, a surgeon with nearly 30 years of experience.
Chant said a subsequent biopsy indicated the lump in the patient's breast was benign, but that was misread, and the breast was removed Nov. 5, the Windsor Star reported Thursday.
"We are very saddened by this event and we are profoundly sorry," Chant said.
Dr. Art Kidd, who was chief of staff at the time, said there was only one explanation for the mistake.
"This was human error," Kidd said. "Humans are not infallible."
The patient has not filed a lawsuit against the hospital and is in contact with its patient counseling and support services unit, a spokeswoman said.
