NY cites doctor for removing healthy kidney
June 1, 2000 less than 1 minute read
NY cites doctor for removing healthy kidney
New York state health commissioner Antonia Novello, MD, MPH, has used her emergency powers to summarily suspend the license of Peter Muncan, MD, of Brooklyn, NY, alleging that he poses "an imminent danger to public health."
Muncan is charged with five specific charges of misconduct relating to his care and treatment of a patient at Maimonides Hospital in May 1999. Muncan allegedly removed the patient’s healthy left kidney, rather than the diseased right kidney.
The health department cites these specific failures by Muncan:
• failed to adequately assess which of his patient’s kidneys contained a mass prior to surgery;
• failed to take appropriate action after surgery when it became apparent that a healthy kidney had been removed and, knowingly and with intent to deceive, failed to note in the patient’s hospital record that he had removed a tumor-free kidney;
• informed the patient and his primary physician that the removed kidney contained a benign tumor;
• inappropriately discharged the patient from the hospital and failed to provide complete post-operative follow-up care;
• failed to notify the patient immediately when he learned of the mass in the patient’s right kidney;
• informed the patient it would be necessary to remove the entire right (remaining) kidney, without suggesting the option of performing a partial nephrectomy or other alternative treatment.
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