A family is taking legal action after a boy aged four was given an ‘unintended vasectomy’ during surgery for a hernia.
The child from Texas went in for an operation for the hernia in his groin area in August last year, but a doctor mistakenly cut one of the tubes that carries semen.
It means the boy will likely need to have further surgery and could face fertility issues later in life.
Randy Sorrels, a lawyer representing the family as they sue both the doctor and the hospital, told ‘The surgeon, we think, cut accidentally the vas deferens, one of the tubes that carries reproductive semen in it.
‘It could affect this young man for the rest of his life.’
He said the family were concerned about how this will affect their child both physically and emotionally, and were worried about him ‘having to explain this to a potential partner who you are going to have children with’.
Mr Sorrels added: ‘It’s not a common mistake at all.
‘Here, the doctor failed to accurately identify the anatomy that needed to be cut. That wasn’t found out until it was sent in for pathology.’
The surgeon who operated on the boy was said to have no previous issues of malpractice.
He added in a statement to : ‘While apologies were given, full accountability was not accepted.
‘The parents now face the difficult task of explaining this to their son at the appropriate age.’
Vasectomies are commonly sought by men as a form of birth control. By snipping the tube that carries sperm to semen, it means patients can then ejaculate without risking pregnancy.
It is possible to reverse a vasectomy however this is not always successful.
A spokesperson from Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston said: ‘Texas Children’s Hospital’s top priority is the health and well-being of our patient.
‘Due to patient privacy requirements, we are unable to comment.’
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