VietNamNet Bridge – A 6-year-old boy in the southern province of Vinh Long was diagnosed with synovial popliteal cysts in the left leg. But doctors conducted an operation on his right leg.

The case occurred at the General Hospital of Vinh Long Province in late July.

Le Quoc Dung, a resident of Thanh Binh commune in Vung Liem district in Vinh Long province told VietNamNet that on July 27 he brought his son named Le Quoc Hao, six years old, to Vinh Long General Hospital for examinations for the pain in his left leg.

Doctors of the Surgery Ward said Hao had synovial popliteal cysts on the left leg and the boy needed an operation.

On July 28, Dr. Bui Vinh Phuc began performing the surgery at 10am. As the operation was long, Dung returned home to take some personal belonging for his son.

At about 1pm, his mother-in-law called him to inform that the operation was completed but she said that the boy kept crying and complaining of the pain on his right leg. Dung was surprised and asked her why the boy was operated on the left leg but he complained about the pain on the right leg. She said the right leg was operated on, not the left.

Dung hurriedly drove back to the hospital and discovered that doctors had conducted operation on the wrong leg.

The family asked the hospital to show the clinical record of the boy, which also noted that the operation was for the left leg.

The hospital’s director Nguyen Thanh Nhom (photo) confirmed that both legs of the boy had cysts and Dr. Phuc was not wrong to perform the operation on the right leg. However he was wrong to not explain it to the boy’s family.

Doctors explained that the child’s right leg also had synovial popliteal cysts and this leg was in worse condition than the other so they conducted the operation on this leg.

"Doctors’ explanation is unsatisfactory because previously they informed us that our son only had cysts on the left leg. Moreover, why didn't they ask for our approval?” Dung said.

According to Dung, the hospital’s deputy director Ho Thi Thu Hang met the family to explain again that the child’s right left also had cysts. The only mistake was not telling the family about it. Therefore the hospital would not pay any compensation.

The family asked the hospital to take responsibility if Hao’s leg has complications, but the doctors refused.

The hospital’s director Nguyen Thanh Nhom confirmed that both legs of the boy had cysts and Dr. Phuc was not wrong to perform the operation on the right leg. However he was wrong to not explain it to the boy’s family.

"Dr. Phuc said he only discovered cysts on the right leg in the operating room. As he was in the sterile surgical room, he continued the operation without informing the patient’s family for the fear that bacteria can get into the room, affecting the surgery," Dr. Nhom said.

Nhom confirmed that the doctor would be punished for his mistake.