Doctor ‘cuts off man’s penis’ after mistaking syphilis for cancerDoctor ‘cuts off man’s penis’ after mistaking syphilis for cancer
A man from Italy is seeking €400,000 (£354,000) in compensation after surgeons allegedly wrongly amputated his penis, believing it to be cancerous. It was later discovered that he had a form of syphilis that could have been treated with medication. The surgery occurred in November 2018 at San Donato Hospital in Arezzo, Tuscany, and the patient, now 68 years old, intends to take the 35-year-old urologist responsible to court. A preliminary hearing in a court in Arezzo next month will determine whether the case will proceed to trial. The man has requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation and claims to have suffered significant physical and psychological harm. The surgeon, who is highly respected, no longer works at the Tuscany hospital but now operates in a Milan hospital. According to local newspaper Corriere di Arezzo, the man’s experience was both painful and embarrassing.