Negligence at Ichilov: Patient suffered for months after surgeons left a knife in his body
A shocking case of medical negligence has emerged at Ichilov Hospital, where a patient discovered a surgical knife left inside his shoulder four months after his initial operation.
A surgical knife was left inside a patient's body at Ichilov Hospital, it was revealed on Wednesday. The foreign object was discovered during a follow-up examination conducted four months after the initial surgery. The incident has been reported to the Ministry of Health.
Y., a 40-year-old Tel Aviv resident, was injured four months ago in a car accident on the Ayalon Highway. He was rushed to Ichilov by a Magen David Adom (MDA) team, where he underwent surgery and was hospitalized for three days. "At the hospital, they warned that recovery would be difficult and painful. We expected that, but the pain only kept getting worse," his wife told Walla.
She described the frustration of being dismissed by medical staff during the recovery period:
"Every doctor who examined him said everything was fine and even suggested he was imagining the pain. They suggested psychiatric treatment and nearly sent him to Abarbanel; no one believed him."
The truth came to light during a CT scan yesterday. Medical staff immediately identified the foreign object and ordered his urgent hospitalization. His wife later learned the gravity of the situation: "My husband called me and said he was going into surgery because he had a blade in his shoulder."
"The surgeon and the department head admitted it was their negligence. They said the knife wasn't even used in the first surgery and they don't know how it got there. The surgeon was very upset," she continued.
For the family, the past few months have been a nightmare. As the sole breadwinner for their two young children, the wife has been working overtime while her husband suffered in constant agony.
Ichilov Medical Center issued a statement regarding the incident:
"The object was indeed discovered during a follow-up scan yesterday. The patient underwent surgery this morning to remove it, and he is not expected to suffer long-term damage. The incident will be fully investigated to prevent any recurrence, and the Ministry of Health has been notified in accordance with standard procedures."
