A surgery cost a woman a healthy kidney. Wendy Rappaport claimed as much in a new lawsuit, accusing her surgeon and the Allina hospital system of medical malpractice and battery, according to CBS News.
Allina told the outlet that they intend to fight the lawsuit in court. As for the doctor in question, the local Fox station reported his identity to be Dr. Devon Callahan.
Per the outlet, Callahan served as Trauma Medical Director at Abbott Nonwestern Hospital and West Regional Director of Surgery at Allina Health during his time in Minnesota between 2016 to 2023.
He now has an active California medical license, the outlet reported. Callahan has no disciplinary actions against him in either state, per the outlet.
In the lawsuit, which CBS News obtained, Rappaport recounted her claims, which date back to March 2022. At the time, the lawsuit alleged, she was admitted to Abbott Northwestern, where she was scheduled for spleen removal surgery.
During the laparotomy procedure, though, Rappaport claimed that her left kidney was removed instead of her spleen. Per the lawsuit, the post-op note from the doctor stated that he’d removed the spleen during surgery.
That is allegedly not what a follow up CT scan showed, though. Instead, the lawsuit claimed, that imaging showed that Rappaport’s left kidney was absent and the spleen still present.
Rappaport alleged in the lawsuit that her kidneys were considered “unremarkable” prior to surgery. In the lawsuit, she additionally stated that she had not consented to her left kidney’s removal.
What Happened After Wendy Rappaport’s Surgery
As a result of her time under the knife, Rappaport said she now requires treatment such as dialysis. She is seeking at least $50,000 in the suit, the outlet reported.
After the allegedly botched surgery, Rappaport remained hospitalized for months due to complication, the lawsuit claimed.
“Allina Health is aware of the lawsuit and has had the case reviewed by medical experts,” Allina Health told the outlet in a statement. “While we will not discuss details of a patient’s care due to privacy laws, the court filings don’t accurately reflect the full picture of the patient’s condition or the life-saving medical care provided. We intend to vigorously defend, in court, the care that was provided.”
Rappaport’s lawyers also spoke out in a statement, telling the outlet that they intend to prove their client suffered the “negligent and unnecessary removal of her left kidney.”
“The Defendants were supposed to remove a “sick” spleen but removed the incorrect organ,” Rappaport’s lawyers said in part. “… The removal of the incorrect organ has and will continue to have a profound and unnecessary impact on her life and health.”
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