Doctor removes 3-year-old boy's penis in botched surgery

BRAZIL - A three-year-old boy successfully underwent penis restoration after a botched circumcision surgery left him without a penis. The paediatrician who suggested the surgery and operated on the boy has been found dead after an alleged cardiac arrest following the major operation.

Doctor dismisses botched circumcision surgery after 4-hour blunder

24-year-old Alberthy Camargos said he "went crazy with the shock" after removing his son's gauze and found a stump in place of his penis.

"When the doctor took off the first bloodstained bandage there was a kind of rolled gauze underneath that appeared to be covering my son's penis. But when that was taken off there was nothing there but a stump and no visible penis", he said.

The operation was supposed to only take 30 minutes, but the medical team only emerged after 4 hours.

Camargos asked what was the reason behind the delay. The doctor allegedly dismissed concerns by saying son was perfectly fine and healthy, and covered up the boy's groin area with the bandage to hide the wound.

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Camargos reportedly collapsed and was paralysed as a result of being lost for words.

"I felt disgusted by his answer. They were treating me like a fool and I lost total confidence in the medical team", he said.

After signing a waiver, Camargos discharged his son and transferred him to a private hospital in a nearby city, Teófilo Otoni hospital.

TECHNOLOGY HELPS TO RESTORE BOY'S PENIS

Thankfully, the boy has recovered under close supervision.

Skin grafted from the forearm or thigh can help restore erectile tissue. The medical experts advised the boy can have a normal sex life and father children in the future.

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The physician, Dr Abrantes, who amputated the boy's penis, was found dead from a cardiac arrest shortly after the botched operation.

Dr Carlos Marx Municipal Hospital's spokesperson released a statement that an internal inquiry is being conducted to examine if sole responsibility for this incident of medical negligence lies on Dr Abrantes.

Local police chief, Mariana Grassi, advised "We have collected all the documents surrounding this case and we are now in the process of hearing testimonies from those involved".

A spokesperson for Dr Carlos Marx Municipal Hospital said an internal enquiry is underway and the medical team that assisted the doctor is under investigation.

Camargos said he felt "robbed…of the one individual who could have given us face to face answers and who might have been held directly responsible."

The single father agreed to the surgery after the paediatrician suggested the phimosis is operated on.

WAS THE OPERATION REALLY NECESSARY?

Phimosis is a condition when the penis's foreskin does not retract over the head of the penis.

It's normal amongst children between 2 and 6 years old.

There usually isn't an issue unless there's redness, swelling, or soreness, which can indicate balanitis (the head of the penis is inflamed) or balanoposthitis (the glans and foreskin are inflamed, with a thick discharge under the foreskin).

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These conditions can generally be treated with medication like antibiotics.

Surgery is generally only required if there are repeated infections and the skin is completely unable to retract. If your child suffers from this condition, speak to your physician before considering surgery.

It's always a worrying time when your child has to go into hospital for a major operation. But when a straightforward operation becomes a botched circumcision surgery leaving your little boy without his private parts, it's no wonder this father reacted as he did.

How would you have responded if this happened to your son?

This article was first published in theAsianparent.