Baltimore Obstetrician Under Fire for Removing Wrong Ovary During Surgery

Maureen Muoneke, MD, an OB/GYN physician from Ellicott City, Md., faces a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging a patient has lower fertility due to a wrong-site surgery in 2010, according to a Baltimore Sun report.

Nadege Neim, who was pregnant at the time, underwent an ultrasound with Dr. Muoneke in 2009. The ultrasound revealed a dermoid cyst, usually a benign tumor, on her left ovary. A second ultrasound a year later revealed the tumor was still present, so an outpatient cystectomy to remove the tumor was scheduled for Sept. 2010.

 

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After the surgery, Ms. Neim visited Dr. Muoneke twice for pain in her right pelvic region, and both times Dr. Muoneke allegedly never detected the error. An emergency visit to the Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, Md., revealed Ms. Neim's left ovary with the tumor was still present and her right ovary was gone. Ms. Neim filed a complaint against Dr. Muoneke, claiming the wrong-site surgery led to lower fertility. Ms. Neim has yet to undergo a second procedure to remove the ovary with the tumor due to "mental distress" and "anxiety," according to the report.

Related Articles on Wrong-Site Surgery:

Two Connecticut Physicians Reprimanded for Surgical Errors
Iowa Physician Charged for Wrong-Site Surgery, Other Violations
Guidance to Prevent Adverse Events in Surgery Centers: Wrong-Site Surgery