NBCChicago com 07-29-2009 (Knee Operation)

Orthopedic in Knee Deep for Fixing Wrong Leg

Man sues doctors after they started surgery on wrong knee

By TARA GRIMES
Updated 4:44 PM CDT, Wed, Jul 29, 2009

This adds a whole new meaning to taking a knee.

A Chicago-area man claims doctors performed surgery on the wrong body part and he wants $50,000 for the error.

In May of last year, Kordes was admitted to MacNeal Hosptial in Berwyn for simple surgery on his right knee, but the doctors got it wrong and opened up his left one.

After realizing it was the wrong knee, they removed the surgical instruments, stitched back up the incisions on his left knee and then continued to operate on his right knee.

The mistake left Kordes’ left knee with damage.

His suit alleges the docs should have known it was the right knee they were to perform the surgery on and that they failed to ensure surgery would not be performed on the wrong body part.

Note: Attorney Thomas Zimmerman filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of the patient.