Man Dies after Rhode Island Surgeon Operates on Wrong Side of Head

Courtney Mills

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A man has died a few weeks after his neurosurgeon operated on the wrong side of his brain.

As an emergency operation at Rhode Island Hospital was underway to stanch bleeding in a patient's brain, Dr. Frederick Harrington's nurse practitioner allegedly neglected to record which side of his patient's head needed surgery. According to reports, when another nurse pointed out what required information was lacking, the doctor proceeded without consulting any patient charts and operated on the wrong side of the brain. When the doctor realized what he had done, he righted himself and operated on the correct side of the brain.

The hospital suspended Dr. Harrington's surgical privileges pending a review into the incident. State health authorities are also looking into the botched operation. According to the Boston Globe, this is the third wrong-side surgery error at Rhode Island Hospital's neurosurgery unit in six years.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.