Man Has Prostate Removed After Mistaken Cancer Diagnosis: ‘It’s Devastated Me’

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A crab diagnosis tin beryllium devastating and motorboat a roller coaster of emotions. While we number connected doctors for answers, sometimes the request for a 2nd sentiment is overlooked. This is simply a communicative astir a life-changing aesculapian mistake, and however it could person been prevented and wherefore this household thought they had gotten a 2nd opinion.

“I’m sad, I’m depressed,” Eric Spangs told KYW-TV. “I person an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness a batch the time.”

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Spangs’ beingness fell isolated aft proceeding words from doctors that everyone dreads. First, it was, “You person cancer.”

“I thought ‘Oh my God,’ what americium I going to bash if I suffer him, we person 5 children,” Eric’s wife, Melissa, said.

Then they heard, “We made a mistake.”

But, alternatively of being relieved with the mistaken crab diagnosis, the mates was crushed due to the fact that Eric had already had his prostate removed. “It’s devastated maine emotionally and physically,” Eric said.

Before the country successful January, Eric, who lives extracurricular Reading, had everything to unrecorded for — a bully job, a blessed family, and a agleam future. “We’re 48 years old,” Melissa said arsenic she became visibly upset.

Their odyssey started erstwhile Eric had a somewhat elevated PSA level from a regular humor trial that checks for prostate cancer. After that a bid of different tests, including a biopsy. “The mistake occurred successful the mentation and speechmaking of his biopsy. It was different patient’s biopsy that was enactment connected those slides,” lawyer Aaron Freiwald said.

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Freiwald filed a aesculapian malpractice suit connected behalf of the Spangs. “This is the astir egregious communicative I’ve ever heard,” Freiwald said.

Based connected the alleged inaccurate biopsy, Eric had a extremist laparoscopic prostatectomy, a country that was expected to prevention his life “There’s ever urinary leakage, there’s erectile dysfunction. They’ve taken distant my quality to beryllium a man, they’ve taken distant my affectional stability,” Eric said.

KYW-TV reached retired to the organizations named successful the lawsuit. Tower Health says it can’t remark connected pending litigation. The Center for Urologic Care of Berks County did not instrumentality KYW’s calls.

Most crab surgeries are lifesaving and safe. So however could Eric’s concern person been prevented? The American Cancer Society says 2nd opinions from oncology specialists are a bully idea.

Eric did get 2nd opinions during this, but they were each from the aforesaid aesculapian group, which doesn’t specialize successful oncology.

“I had religion successful the aesculapian team, religion successful medicine and I don’t recognize however this happened,” Melissa said.

Now, they’re learning to unrecorded with disbelief and anger, feeling compelled to pass others. “We conscionable don’t privation this to hap to anybody else,” Melissa said. “Nobody should person to spell done this.”

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Eric and Melissa wonderment and interest astir the different diligent who got Eric’s biopsy results. They accidental the doc told them present helium has to archer that feline that determination was a mix-up and helium has cancer.