Testicles gone in 'wrong op'

2005-04-25 22:41

Alet Rademeyer

Pretoria - "We performed the wrong operation on you, we didn't look at your folder," a doctor is alleged to have told an aged man whose testicles had been removed instead of his prostate gland.

The 72-year-old man from Volksrust in Mpumalanga underwent the operation at Pretoria Academic Hospital in 2002.

The man has laid a complaint with the Health Professions Council of South Africa which will investigate possible unprofessional conduct on the part of another Pretoria doctor, who performed the operation.

In view of the "sensitive" nature of the case, Dr P J Barnard, chairperson of the council's disciplinary committee, ordered on Monday that the patient's identity, as well as that of the doctors involved, should not be published in the media.

The hearing for the two doctors has been combined and both are pleading not guilty.

Did the wrong op, said doctor

In his letter of complaint, the patient claims the wrong operation was performed on him and that the removal of his testicles was not the operation about which he had been informed and for which he was prepared.

According to the letter, after the man's testicles had been removed, one doctor - not the one who did the operation - said to him they had performed the wrong operation on him.

The doctor who performed the operation is charged with, among other things, not consulting with Professor S Reif, who had referred the patient for a prostate operation, when there was confusion about what the correct procedure would be.

When cross-examined on Monday, the patient said the doctor did tell him before the operation what the removal of his testicles entailed and what the side effects would be.

He said that, at that stage, he was satisfied with the doctor's explanation that it was a new technique to first remove the testicles and afterwards the prostrate, if there was not an improvement.

Having emotional problems

He said he had decided by himself, without his two sons putting any pressure on him, to lay a charge against the two doctors.

In his complaint he says he is experiencing emotional problems and having hot flushes.

"I am also short-tempered and have put on about 10kg since the operation," he said.

The hearing continues.

- Beeld