Doctors Operated on the Wrong Baby after Pre-Op Mix-up

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – No one said that a doctor’s life is in an easy one when you literally spend half your life in training and the other half catching up with the latest trends in disease. And, eventually, this tight schedule can take its toll on you. Perhaps it was fatigue or sheer carelessness, but the facts remain the same. The doctors operated on the wrong baby after pre-op mix-up.

A couple from Tennessee is on the verge of filed a full-fledged malpractice lawsuit against the doctors in charge of their son’s case. According to Jennifer Melton, Nate’s mother, and the child involved in this unfortunate case, she and her husband, Domonique Harper, brought in their son for a routine consultation. Little did they knew about what was about to happen.

According to the mother’s testimony, the day after Nate was born, the doctors decided to submit the type to major surgery. However, the procedure was meant for another child, one who was suffering from a congenital defect.

The procedure in question is called a frenectomy or tongue clipping. In some cases, the tissue connecting the mouth and the tongue (lingual frenulum) can be too tight. Usually, if this connective tissue is too tight, the child might have a problem eating and speaking. Furthermore, the birth defect could induce discomfort in mother while breastfeeding.

Basically, during this procedure, the lingual frenulum is either surgically removed or repositioned, as to offer the patient’s tongue a freer degree of movement. In most cases, the procedure is painless, and it can even be performed without the need for general anesthesia. For this end, the surgeons often employ the use of a high-powered laser, which is capable of making precise incisions.

But, in some cases, the doctors need to do some major reconstructions in order to correct the birth defect.

The doctors operated on the wrong baby after pre-op mix-up. Both parents cannot explain why their baby had to the subjected to this kind of surgical procedure, given the fact that the baby’s tongue was perfectly normal, thus not needing reconstructive surgery.

All the events in questions have transpired at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter in Tennessee. Moreover, the enraged mother also declared that she and her husband had not been consulted on the procedure.

Presently, we cannot but speculate on the baby’s general conditions. However, concerning the mix-up mishap, it would seem that the hospital’s board will be questioned regarding the necessity of the surgical intervention.

Clint Kelly, the family’s lawyer, said that the conduct is inexcusable and that the guilty parties will face some severe charges.

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