Medical negligence: Elderly man has the wrong leg amputated at an Austrian clinic

In Austria, a man has had the wrong leg removed at a hospital.

According to Heute, the 82-year old’s right leg was amputated by surgeons, instead of his left.

Medics announced in a press conference at Freistadt Clinic, the mistake was made last week but has only just been noticed, in the town of Freistadt, near the Czech border.

Medical director Norbert Fritsch said that the leg due to being removed had been marked with an arrow.

“We have to find out how this failure, this mistake could happen. I would like to apologise publicly here,” he said.

According to the website reports the doctor concerned has taken themselves off duty.

It is reported that the man was not well enough to have noticed the mistake, but had now been told, with his two daughters at his bedside.

The right leg will now need to be removed from the thigh.

According to the report, the Freistadt Hospital filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office.