Medical Verdicts

Unsupervised resident performed circumcision


 

New York County (NY) Supreme Court

A 2-day-old infant underwent circumcision by an unsupervised second-year ObGyn resident. The resident removed a substantial portion of glans tissue. Despite 2 subsequent repair surgeries, the infant was left with a deformed penis and altered urine flow.

In suing, the plaintiff faulted the hospital for failing to adequately supervise the resident. The resident claimed it was reasonable to perform the surgery without supervision after 10 successful proctored procedures and that the result was an acceptable risk. The hospital admitted liability.

  • The jury awarded the plaintiff $1.5 million.
The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, Nashville, Tenn (www.verdictslaska.com). The available information about the cases is sometimes incomplete; pertinent details may be unavailable. Moreover, the cases may or may not have merit. Still, these cases represent types of clinical situations that may result in litigation and are meant to illustrate variation in verdicts and awards.

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