A man lost nearly all of his penis after contracting a flesh-eating disease during surgery in March 2013, and he is suing the hospital.
Andrew Lane, 61, had cancer and went into Southend Hospital in Essex, United Kingdom, to have his prostate gland removed, according to The Telegraph.
During the course of the operation, Lane became contaminated with Necrotizing Fasciitis, an infection that can be fatal that causes the body’s soft tissue to wither and die. The lower portion of his torso and the upper part of his groin became significantly distended. Lane survived, but his genitals were left so badly ruined that most of his penis is now gone.
“The skin may be warm with red or purplish areas of swelling that spread rapidly,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) description of symptoms reads. “There may be ulcers, blisters, or black spots on the skin.”
Following the removal of tons of diseased tissue, Lane was bedridden in the hospital for eight weeks.
“I lost from my belly button to just above the groin and I’ve not got much left of a penis,” Lane said, according to The Telegraph. “I was super-fit before all this. I had a good body, but now I look like I’m nine months pregnant. I can’t ever bear to look at myself naked.”
Lane can’t have sex, and is now forced to use a catheter, colostomy bag, and another specialized medical devices.
“The most difficult bit is not being able to have sex with my wife anymore. We’re a normal couple who enjoyed it as part of a healthy relationship and I do miss that,” Lane lamented.
Lane says he has finally accepted what happened, but still wants to file suit against the hospital in order to bring awareness to the possibility of this terrible situation. (RELATED: Hospital Charges Father $39.35 For Holding His Newborn)
“Mr Lane believed he was going into hospital for a routine operation and would be home within days,” Nick Greaves, a medical negligence attorney at the law firm Slater and Gordon, explained. “Instead, he has been left with permanent and life-changing injuries that have turned his world upside down.”
“Although nothing can change that, he wants to know what happened and ensure it is fully investigated and everything possible done to prevent anyone else having to go through the same ordeal,” Greaves said.
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