Doctor Susan L. Jarosz of Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston is being sued after a 4-year-old boy went in for a hernia repair and left with a partial vasectomy.
The child’s family is suing for medical negligence.
In a press release, attorneys Randy Sorrels and Tom Omondi stated that the boy informed his parents he was experiencing discomfort on the right side of his scrotum. The pain would reportedly worsen in the evenings.
To correct the issue, Jarosz recommended a right inguinal hernia repair.
During the August 4, 2021 hernia repair, Jarosz accidentally cut the vas deferens, which is the tube that carries the sperm out of the testes.
Officials at Texas Children’s Hospital explained to the child’s parents that the mistake could result in both short and long-term complications, including reduced fertility.
“While apologies were given, fully accountability was not accepted,” the attorneys said. “The parents now face the difficult task of explaining this to their son at the appropriate age.”
Sorrels told Newsweek that the type of injury the child sustained is rare. He added that Jarosz “cut the wrong piece of anatomy.”
He continued, “Before a doctor transects or cuts any part of the anatomy, they are supposed to positively identify what that anatomy is and then cut. Here, the doctor failed to accurately identify the anatomy that needed to be cut.”
“The family’s biggest concern is how this might affect their child physically, on the ability to have children in the future, and emotionally,” he said. “[Along with] having to explain this to a potential partner who you are going to have children with,” the attorney added.
A spokesperson for the hospital addressed the situation by saying, “Texas Children’s Hospital’s top priority is the health and well-being of our patients. Due to patient privacy requirements, we are unable to comment.”