DES MOINES – A Sioux City doctor has been disciplined by the Iowa Board of Medicine for “performing the wrong procedure on a patient.”
On July 29th, 2011, the Board charged Dr. Kevin W. Hamburger with performing the wrong procedure on a patient after inadvertently removing a 29-year-old patient’s healthy ovaries while performing a total vaginal hysterectomy, despite the patient’s desire to keep her ovaries.
Dr. Hamburger acknowledged the mistake and apologized for the error. The Board issued Dr. Hamburger a citation and warning and ordered him to pay a $7,500 civil penalty and submit a written corrective action plan describing the steps he has taken to avoid such errors in the future.
I can’t believe there’s really no punishment for ruining this girls life. So sad. Bet no one goes to him for anything though in the future. He’ll be bankrupt within 18 months.
Why the heck don’t doctors simply ask patients what surgery they are having before they put them under? No wonder some patients write instructions on their bodies with magic marker before surgery!
Dr. ask patient?! Drs. are suppose to tell patients what type of surg. they are having. Then the patient decides if thats what they want. It’s just some OBGYN’s assume they own the woman’s body once she’s under anesthetic. I know of another doc that did the same thing. They claim they’re preventing cancer later. I think they’re just sick men with an ego problem.
@Katie-My doctor not only marks the spot on my body where he is going to do the surgery, he sits and discusses the options and the surgery before starting in the pre-op. It is the difference between a professional doctor and a hack.
How would a MD be able to mark your UTERUS inside your body, lol. Not possible in this case. They do a physical time out with the pt and the patient agree to what surgery it going to be done-a vaginal hysterectomy. This would of been the time for her to include that she wanted to make sure she keeps her ovaries. A doctor can’t remember EVERYTHING a pt might request and usually with a hysterectomy, they take the ovaries. So in a way, she was also at fault for not reminding him when he talked with her BEFORE the surgery or when they did the timeout. THAT IS WHY his fine was so low, because he was not the only one to blame and she had multiple times to remind him prior to surgery and didn’t. Think about this one, it may be hard, but I’ve been an RN for 25+ years and have been taken to court as a witness for either the prosecution or the defendant, and I know how and why this happens. So yes, the $7500 was sufficient considering she could of reminded him TWICE the day of the surgery and didn’t
Mayor McCheese could not be reached for comment.
An apology and a $7500 fine for destroying a woman’s fertility and forcing her into menopause at such a young age? Really?
Oops..sorry. Mistakes are only for poor people to endure…
Nobody is taking this doctors licence that’s for sure. Mistakes are only for poor losers…you know the score on this stuff.
it said she was having a hysterectomy, so it didn’t ruin her fertility. if anything, she’ll just have to take hormones. still is wrong that he didn’t do the correct procedure, but could have been a lot worse
That is true. Once they put you under, you are at the Dr’s mercy. Could do anything to you.
Patients do sign a waiver of permission for surgeon to do further surgery than what was originally discussed. But that’s only if it’s necessary for saving your life or something unexpected that was found and necessary to make the surg. a success. Not for Drs. to do what they personally want to do.
This one case where suing him would be justified. That or beating the crap out of him. I’d gladly pay the $100 fine to do that if it were me.
You must be a man…. You can have a hysterectomy and take only the uterus. If the woman is still producing healthy eggs she can have them extracted and have a child using a surrogate Mother. I’d sue this Dr.’s ass off!
She might not be able to tolerate HRT and it is not the same as your natural hormones. If she had her eggs she could use a gestational carrier and have a child that was hers biologically. Would your response be the same if this was a man who’d had his testicles removed when he went in for prostate surgery? That’s the equivalent to what happened here. This woman was castrated.
Ok, for one, she had a vaginal HYSTERECTOMY……which MEANS she no longer can have children. Shows your knowledge base. For another, no one is PERFECT and everyone makes mistakes. He did ruin her life AT ALL. If anything, when she’s 50 or 55 she might have to take hormone replacement by a PILL to help with hot flashes. So give it up already. He is an amazing Doctor who I have seen PREVENT many women from dying related to OBGYN issues. I have worked on a OB floor for 17 years with him, and he is an AMAZING OBGYN. Do your research before you judge!
Where was nurse Fries when all this went down??