A Minnesota woman in her 80s, Wendy Rappaport, has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Devon Callahan and Allina Health, alleging that a surgical error led to the removal of her healthy left kidney instead of her spleen. The incident occurred during a procedure at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in March 2022, when Rappaport was admitted for a suspected spleen abscess or rupture.
According to the lawsuit, Dr. Callahan performed the surgery on March 28, 2022, but mistakenly removed Rappaport’s kidney. A post-operative CT scan confirmed that the spleen was still present, along with an infection, while the kidney was missing. Rappaport’s attorney, Aaron Lawrence, emphasized that “the wrong organ was removed” and criticized the lack of checks and balances during the procedure.
Following the surgery, Rappaport was hospitalized for nearly two months and has since been diagnosed with stage 5 chronic kidney disease, which requires regular dialysis. The lawsuit claims that the removal of her kidney caused permanent injury and impaired her renal function.
Allina Health has stated that they intend to vigorously defend the care provided, asserting that the court filings do not accurately reflect the full picture of Rappaport’s condition or the medical care she received. Dr. Callahan, who now practices in California, has not commented on the lawsuit.
Rappaport is seeking monetary damages exceeding $50,000, though her legal team expects the final amount to be higher.
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