Hospital surgeon removes kidney ‘without consent’

A woman has lodged a complaint against an Udon Thani hospital surgeon for removing a kidney without her consent.

The organ removal occurred following an incorrect examination, which stated it was highly likely that she had cancer.

As Sinawaphon Homklang was preparing to have an operation to return her bowel function to normal, she was told she had only one kidney.

“I and my family never allowed the kidney removal,” she insisted.

Ms Sinawaphon was shocked when she learned from the surgeon two weeks after the operation in late June she did not have any malign tumours as initially claimed.

But the news came too late as she had already lost her uterus, ovaries, and part of her intestines. As a result, she has to excrete via the stomach.

“I was so desperately distressed that I nearly committed suicide,” Ms Sinawaphon said.

“But I decided to ask for justice,” the 33-year-old said as she sought help via the Damrongtham government centre in Udon Thani yesterday.

The bride-to-be, who is planning to marry next year, has been worried over long-term impact on her health as well as relationship with her Singaporean boyfriend.

Before the operation, Ms Sinawaphon had developed a severe stomachache. An initial check-up by a doctor at Hat Yai hospital, which is located near her workplace in the South, found she suffered bowel obstruction.

After a talk with her mother, the woman decided to have a further treatment in her home province of Udon Thani.

One doctor told her she did not need an operation and gave her medication.

“I felt better gradually, but the mor yai [senior surgeon] told me there was an 80% chance I had cancer,” Ms Sinawaphon said.

The surgeon, whose name was not disclosed, is an expert in intestinal surgery.

Ms Sinawaphon said she had asked the surgeon to use an endoscope to detect the abnormality and cut parts of tumours off for examination. However, she said, the surgeon allegedly refused, reasoning the device is used to treat, not detect, diseases.

“The surgeon told me I could the skip an operation if I was not ready. He had many patients under his care,” she claimed.

Ms Sinawaphon decided to have the surgery. However, it allegedly proceeded without a gynaecologist who earlier told her he would take part in the treatment, she said.

Her family later lodged a complaint with the Udon Thani public health office which gave Ms Sinawaphon 240,000 baht in compensation.