An exceptional medical error occurred on July 10 at the Côte d'Opale clinic in Saint-Martin-Boulogne (Pas-de-Calais). A 17-year-old girl, admitted for scheduled ankle surgery, left the operating room after having all four of her wisdom teeth removed. The clinic fully acknowledges the incident, describing it as an "exceptional" and "deeply regrettable" situation, while the family has decided to file a complaint.
According to the young patient's mother, everything seemed to be proceeding normally until she entered the operating room. After the procedure, a surgeon returned to inform her that a mistake had been made. Upon waking, the teenager realized her ankle hadn't been operated on when she was able to move her foot, before discovering gauze pads in her mouth. Her family claims she has since suffered from anxiety and sleep disturbances, also denouncing the lack of the medical follow-up normally provided after wisdom tooth extractions.
An internal investigation has been opened by the clinic.
The clinic's management stated that it immediately apologized to the family and offered support including a compensation claim, psychological support, and information on available legal recourse. However, the family refused to sign the proposed compensation agreement, preferring to pursue legal action to fully investigate the circumstances of this error.
The facility has announced an internal investigation to determine the precise causes of this malfunction and identify any potential liability. The clinic states its intention to maintain a dialogue with the family while assuring them that its priority remains the care of the young patient, who will now undergo the initially planned ankle surgery at a later date.
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