An Austrian neurosurgeon has been dismissed after reportedly allowing their 13-year-old daughter to use a drill on a patient’s skull during a surgery. The incident allegedly took place in January and involved a patient who was unconscious at the time.
According to reports from Kronen Zeitung, the surgeon, whose identity has not been disclosed, permitted the teenager to drill a hole in the skull of a 33-year-old male patient who had been brought to Graz University Hospital in southeastern Austria. The patient had sustained a serious head injury in a forestry accident and was flown to the hospital by air ambulance.
While the emergency surgery reportedly proceeded without complications, the patient has yet to fully recover and return to work.
Prosecutors in Graz, the capital of the Styria region, were alerted to the incident in April after an anonymous complaint was filed. It wasn't until July that the patient learned he was involved in the case after reading about it in the media; he had not been directly informed by the authorities.
The patient's lawyer, Peter Freiberger, expressed outrage over the situation. "You lie there, helpless and unconscious, and become a guinea pig. There’s really no other way to put it. It’s unacceptable," Freiberger stated.
He further criticized the lack of communication from the surgical team. "There was no contact, no explanation, or apology—nothing. It’s simply undignified," he added.
The lawyer is reportedly planning to sue the surgical team on behalf of the patient, seeking damages for the distress and breach of professional standards.
The hospital has yet to provide a detailed public statement on the incident, but the firing of the neurosurgeon reflects the gravity of the alleged misconduct. The case has sparked discussions on medical ethics and patient rights in Austria, raising concerns about the supervision and decision-making processes in medical emergencies.
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