Minneapolis — A woman who had the wrong organ removed during surgery in Minneapolis is suing her doctor and the healthcare system.
Wendy Rappaport filed the lawsuit after claiming she visited Abbott Northwestern Hospital in March 2022 with spleen issues.
The lawsuit claims she was then scheduled to have her spleen removed. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Devon Callahan stated in his post-operative notes that he removed an intact spleen. However, a post-operative CT scan revealed that the infected spleen was still present, but her left kidney was removed.
“Plaintiff did not consent to the removal of her left kidney by the defendants,” the lawsuit states.
Rappaport claims in her lawsuit that she spent two months in the hospital due to surgical complications and was diagnosed with respiratory failure, left pleural effusion, and diastolic heart failure. She has also been diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure “as a direct result of the removal of her left kidney,” according to court documents.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital is run by Allina Health System, which told KARE 11 in a statement Monday that it intends to vigorously defend its position in court.
“Allina Health is aware of the lawsuit and has had it reviewed by medical professionals.” While we will not discuss specifics of a patient’s care due to privacy concerns, the court filings do not accurately depict the patient’s condition or the life-saving medical care provided. The statement read, “We intend to vigorously defend the care that was provided in court.”
The lawsuit was filed against Dr. Callahan, Allina Health System, and Allina Health Surgical Specialists. In the lawsuit, Rappaport claims Callahan’s procedure was medical battery and that Allina Health Surgical Specialists is legally liable.
