Costly mistake: Alleged medical misdiagnosis leads to patient getting leg unnecessarily amputated

A 51-year-old person sued Wolfson Medical Center alleging a wrong diagnosis led to his leg being amputated, according to a Sunday press release.

The lawsuit against Wolfson Medical Center, led by attorney Ran Shapira from the law firm Almog-Shapira, shed light on a string of accused medical blunders that culminated in the loss of the patient's foot and profound psychological anguish.

Due to excruciating foot pain as a result of a nail wound, the patient, a 51-year-old Holon resident, sought medical attention at Wolfson Medical Center in August 2017. Despite his repeated complaints and evident symptoms, the hospital staff reportedly mistakenly diagnosed him with diabetes, focusing their attention away from the true cause of his pain.

In a statement describing the ordeal, Attorney Shapira explained, "The prolonged delay in diagnosing and treating his injury, during which he was released home twice, eventually led to the loss of his foot."

This narrative occurred due to negligence and oversight, according to the lawsuit's allegations, which claimed that the hospital staff ignored the plaintiff's explicit complaints regarding his foot, choosing instead to focus on unrelated issues such as diabetes and kidney failure, despite the patient's lack of diabetic history.

From dismissal to amputation

Repeated dismissals from Wolfson Medical Center with a worsening clinical state led the plaintiff to seek help at Sourasky Medical Center, where immediate intervention became important. An ultrasound examination conducted at Sourasky Medical Center unearthed severe gangrene in the plaintiff's foot, requiring amputation. Despite efforts to salvage the damaged limb, partial amputation became an inevitable recourse.

Dr. Jonathan Lahman, a vascular surgeon, viewed the events and stated, "Proper treatment and intervention during the patient's initial and following visits could have prevented amputation." Lahman's assessment highlighted Wolfson Medical Center's procedural shortcomings, according to the press release, notably the failure to execute essential tests and evaluations during the plaintiff's consultations. This oversight, according to Dr. Lahman, constituted gross medical misconduct.

In the wake of the medical ordeal, the plaintiff confronted a plethora of permanent disabilities and psychological disorders, according to Dr. Sergio Marchesadski's psychiatric evaluation. Dr. Marchesadski emphasized the patient's battle with untreated chronic depression, sleep disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, attributing these ailments to the events at Wolfson Medical Center.

Attorney Shapira painted a picture of the plaintiff's pre and post-incident life in the press release, noting, "Before the incident, the plaintiff was independent and full of life ... Following the incident, he left home due to feeling overwhelmed and sank into depression, ceased working, and now lives alone."

The lawsuit served as a beacon of justice, the press release stated, striving to hold Wolfson Medical Center accountable for the ramifications of its medical negligence.