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Treatment of unwanted erection caused permanent penis injury. Is this medical malpractice?
I had to go into the hospital to get a spinal tap done. The doctors seemed to be having problems during the procedure, and after the procedure, I had an erection that wouldn't go away. I mentioned my erection to a nurse after it didn't go away for over an hour. She assured me I would be fine.
After about three hours, the erection still would not stop, and I told the nurse again, because at this point my penis was beginning to hurt very badly. She got the doctor who examined my penis and asked me how long it had been erect. I told him it had been about three hours or more, and it was really starting to hurt and was very tender.
The doctor examined my penis and conferred with another doctor who suggested relieving the pressure by poking a hole to let the blood drain out. The first doctor attempted to perforate my penis, but nothing happened. At this point, the second doctor came in to check in, and began poking more holes, until about eight or nine holes had been made in my penis.
At this point a nurse walked in and whispered something to the doctor, and a few minutes later another doctor walked in. She examined my penis and made yet another hole.
Finally, the erection began to soften.
I believe the two doctors who worked on me initially did not know what they were doing, because the third doctor looked at them with a grimace before gently relieving the pressure.
After the procedure the female doctor wrapped my penis and told me that it was not in great shape and that I should take it "very easy" for a few days.
It has been eleven months since this incident, and I have been unable to become erect at all any more, and I continue to have pain in my penis. I am only 27 years old and feel I may never be able to have an erection again.
Did the doctors perform the wrong treatment? Shouldn't they have tried some medication before butchering my penis? I really feel that they just started poking holes in my penis without really knowing what they were doing. Can I file a lawsuit against them for what seems to be permanent erectile dysfunction? They shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine if they are going to treat future patients this way.
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Answers
There is a risk of priapism (long-term, unwanted erection) with spinal tap, but generally, delicate draining of the penis will treat the problem. This procedure must be performed with delicacy to prevent permanent damage such as occurred to you.
If the method used was not performed with the requisite skill, and not to the accepted medical standard of care, then the doctors may be found negligent. If that is the case, then you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit for the damage. Given your young age, the damages may be significant, as this may prevent you from ever having children.
Although embarrassing, you should talk to a medical malpractice attorney who will have a medical doctor on staff or nearby to give you guidance regarding the doctors performance (or lack thereof), and whether or not the treatment you received was up to par.
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Posted by Staff Writer on 03 Feb 2010
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