US Doctors Lose Part of Patient's Skull, Charge $146,000 for Replacement
In Atlanta, doctors lost part of a patient's skull after surgery and demanded $146,000 to replace it with a synthetic plate. The patient refused to pay and sued the hospital.
An unusual case occurred in Atlanta that attracted public attention and caused a storm of indignation. One of the city's residents was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage and urgently needed surgery. During the surgery, doctors had to temporarily remove a part of the patient's skull measuring 11 by 15 cm.
However, when a few weeks later, when the wound had healed, it turned out that the removed part of the skull was lost. Doctors offered the patient to replace the lost bone with a synthetic plate, but demanded $146,000 (about 13 million rubles) for this.
This demand caused bewilderment in the patient, who expected that the medical institution would take responsibility for the loss and cover the costs of replacement. As a result, the patient refused to pay such a hefty bill and sued the hospital.
This incident became another example of how medical errors can result in serious financial and moral problems for patients. The question of who should be held accountable for such cases continues to rage in the United States, where health care is often the subject of controversy and litigation.
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