Man gets unsought, brutal cut in British hospital

A man in Britain, hospitalised for a minor urological surgery, has stepped out overburdened with worry about his chances of fathering children as by mistake he was operated for vasectomy.

Hospital authorities have apologised unreservedly for the unsought, brutal cut, and the unidentified man could get 100,000 pounds (about $170,000) in damages for the surgeon's blunder.

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure in which the tubes that carry sperm from a man's testicles to the penis are cut, blocked or sealed. In most cases, it is more than 99 per cent effective, the Daily Mail reported.

Doctors at the Royal Liverpool Hospital tried to reverse the mistake - described by health chiefs as a "never event", a medical blunder that should never happen.

Medical director Peter Williams said: "We can confirm a patient who was scheduled to have a different minor urological procedure was wrongly given a vasectomy."

"We have apologised unreservedly to the patient and we are offering him our full support. We greatly regret the distress this has caused him."

Ian Cohen, clinical negligence lawyer at Slater & Gordon, said the error could cost the trust a six-figure sum.

"This is a truly shocking and worrying case... In a worst case scenario - sterility in a younger man with no children - the trust might be liable for a figure in excess of £100,000 in compensation."