Florida surgeon removes healthy kidney he thought was tumor Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT HOSPITAL FOR SPINAL SURGERY AND LEFT WITH ONLY ONE KIDNEY. >> WHAT HAPPENED? THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, AND A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR AND PANIC CAME IN BECAUSE, YES, PEOPLE CAN LIVE WITH ONLY ONE KIDNEY, A NORMAL HEALTHY LIFE. BUT ITS COMPROMISED. >> COURT RECORDS OBTAINED BY WPBF 25 NEWS SHOW MAUREEN PACHECO WENT TO WELLINGTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER TO HAVE THE BONES IN HER BACK FUSED IN 2016 HOURS LATER SHE WAKES UP TO THIS NEWS. DR. RAMON VAZQUEZ HAD REMOVED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS CANCEROUS TUMOR. IT WAS ACTUALLY A HEALTHY KIDNEY. >> I’M IN WHAT THEY CALL STAGE 2 KIDNEY FAILURE. SO I HAVE TO DO SEE MY NEPHROLOGIST MORE OFTEN NOW. WE JUST HAD A VISIT A FEW DAYS AGO, AND INSTEAD OF ME SEEING HIM TWICE A YEAR, I HAVE TO SEE HIM FOUR TIMES A YEAR NOW. >> SHE FILED AND RECENTLY SETTLED A LAWSUIT AGAINST DR. LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. >> IS THIS GOING TO BE MY LIFE? DIALYSIS? OR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT? AND IT WAS REALLY SPOOKY TO SAY THE LEAST. >> VAZQUEZ’S ATTORNEY SAYS THE HOSPITAL IS TO BLAME AFTER THEY FAILED TO INFORM THE DOCTOR PACHECO HAD A PELVIC KIDNEY. BUT A SPOKESMAN WITH WELLINGTON REGIONAL SAID, IN PART, DR. VAZQUEZ IS NOT AND HAS NEVER BEEN AN EMPLOYEE OF WELLINGTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. DR. VAZQUEZ WAS AN INDEPENDENT PHYSICIAN WITH MEDICAL STAFF PRIVILEGES AT WELLINGTON REGIONAL, AS WELL AS OTHER HOSPITALS. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DOCTOR AND WILL PRESENT THEIR SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT TO THE BOARD OF MEDICINE BY THE

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