Healthcare mishap results in unnecessary amputation of a healthy woman's leg, leading to her unfortunate demise
A tragic incident occurred in October 2024 in the Fergana Region of Uzbekistan, where a surgeon, Dr. Abdubannap Madalimov, mistakenly amputated a patient's healthy leg, leading to a series of complications and the patient's eventual death on November 7, 2024[1].
The patient, Adinakhon Isomitdinova, had a severe form of diabetes and complications from a previous amputation of her left leg. Despite this, Madalimov proceeded with the surgery without clear legal medical indications and while officially on unpaid leave[1][2].
The surgical error, known as a wrong-leg amputation, is a recognized patient safety issue globally. Such incidents often occur due to failures in surgical checklists, miscommunication, and procedural errors[3]. To prevent such mistakes, many countries have developed protocols like the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist[3].
In this particular case, unqualified staff and even a student were present in the operating room during the surgeries. Furthermore, medical documents were forged, with Madalimov signing the operation plan in the name of the acting head[1].
The court found Madalimov guilty of malpractice and sentenced him to 4 years in prison, with a 3-year ban on holding leadership and medical positions. He was also ordered to pay 27.8 million soum in material damages and 80 million soum in moral damages to the family of the deceased[2].
Madalimov's appeal, in which he denied his guilt, was rejected by the court. The court's decision remains final and binding[4].
Although specific cases from other countries were not detailed in the immediate search results, the global medical community widely acknowledges wrong-site amputations as serious but preventable errors often cited in patient safety research[5].
| Aspect | Fergana Region, Uzbekistan | Other Countries (General) | |-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | Incident | Wrong-leg amputation of healthy leg → death | Wrong-site amputations reported, typically non-fatal but serious | | Legal Outcomes | Surgeon sentenced to 4 years prison | Lawsuits, penalties, institutional changes common | | Contributing Factors | Surgeon on unpaid leave, lack of clear indications, chain-of-decision failure | Communication errors, poor verification, system failures | | Prevention Measures | Under legal and institutional review | Surgical checklists, strict site-marking protocols, team verification |
This unfortunate incident serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to medical protocols and maintaining high standards of care to prevent such tragedies.
Science plays a crucial role in medical-conditions management, such as diabetes, and health-and-wellness, as demonstrated by the tragic wrong-leg amputation case in the Fergana Region, Uzbekistan, where a series of avoidable errors led to the patient's death.
To investigate and mitigate the risk of similar medical-related incidents, it's essential to implement robust protocols like the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist globally, which includes strict site-marking, team verification, and clear indications for any surgical procedures.
