ESSEX, England, April 17 (UPI) -- A pregnant woman in England died after a surgeon mistakenly removed her ovary instead of her appendix at Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex just outside of London.
Fifth-year resident Dr. Yahya Al-Abed was performing emergency surgeries when Maria de Jesus, 32, was added to the list. Al-Abed, who had been at the hospital for 3 weeks, and his colleague decided de Jesus needed her appendix removed after she complained of severe abdominal pain. Al-Abed's supervisor, Dr. Babatunde Coker, agreed.
Coker was supposed to remain in the gallery to supervise the surgery and said he would "be around" but instead ate lunch and proceeded to go home. Al-Abed removed what he thought was the appendix but it was later found out to be an ovary.
De Jesus, 21 weeks pregnant with her fourth child, came back to the hospital with severe abdominal pain 19 days later. After delivering her stillborn son, de Jesus was taken into an emergency appendectomy and died on the table from multiple organ failure due to sepsis.
Al-Abed admits to his mistake but denies malpractice. Coker is also facing the malpractice tribunal and admits to his failure to supervise the surgery but denies the other charges.
[HuffPost Live] [The Telegraph]
