In a harrowing incident at a Tennessee hospital, parents are outraged after a doctor mistakenly performed surgery on the wrong newborn. Hospital mix-ups are a terrifying thought for new parents, but the story of a Lebanon, Tennessee family underscores just how serious these errors can be.
Emily Stanton had just welcomed her son, Jacob, and was resting in recovery when a nurse approached to take the baby for what she believed was a standard check-up. Hours later, the nurse returned, explaining that Jacob had undergone a frenulectomy—a procedure designed to treat tongue tie by cutting the flap of skin under the tongue. The shocking twist? Jacob didn’t need this surgery at all.
The doctor in charge admitted to the mistake, acknowledging in the hospital report, “I had requested the wrong infant. I likely performed the procedure on a different baby than I intended to… I take full responsibility for this error.” Despite the acknowledgment of fault, Emily and her partner, Mark, are deeply concerned about the potential long-term consequences for their healthy son. Their attorney, Sarah Collins, expressed the gravity of the situation: “We don’t know if Jacob will face speech or eating issues. This is pure negligence. There’s no justification for operating on a healthy child.”
Frenulectomies, while generally quick and minimally invasive, raise questions about hospital protocols when such a serious error occurs. One medical professional commented on a social media platform, “I’ve worked with ENTs who perform frenulectomies frequently. A thorough examination should reveal whether a child needs this procedure. It’s baffling that a doctor could proceed without verifying the necessity.”
The Stantons deserve to feel safe and secure during their hospital stay, free from the anxiety of unwanted medical interventions. It’s a failure on multiple levels that such a major incident could transpire. Hopefully, they will receive satisfactory answers, and that the hospital will implement measures to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
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In summary, the mix-up at the hospital highlights a critical failure in patient care that should never happen. Parents should be able to trust that their newborns will receive the appropriate care without the threat of mishaps.
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