Five years after doing wrong hip, doctor operates on wrong knee
By Associated Press, 03/17/01
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. -- A surgeon who mistakenly operated on a man's healthy hip five years ago has performed surgery on another patient's healthy knee, even though the leg intended for surgery was marked "Yes."
As a result, Dr. Craig DuMond will no longer practice at the Adirondack Medical Center, hospital president and CEO Chandler Ralph told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. DuMond also relinquished his title as president of AMC's medical staff and terminated his private practice in Saranac Lake.
In a letter issued Friday, DuMond said he was embarrassed and anguished by the incident.
After a 1996 operation, in which DuMond mistakenly pinned an elderly patient's wrong hip, AMC officials required its staff to write the word "Yes" on any limb that was supposed to be operated on.
For Monday's surgery, "Yes" was correctly marked on the patient's problem knee, but DuMond operated on the other one anyway, said AMC Public Relations Director Cheryl Breen Randall.
For all future limb surgeries, hospital staff will also be required to pull a red hockey sock over the wrong arm or leg, and write the word "No" underneath.
The hospital notified state regulatory agencies, Ralph said.
The patient in the 1996 operation filed a lawsuit that was settled out of court. Terms of that settlement and of a state-approved disciplinary action were confidential.
