A Minnesota medical malpractice lawsuit filed on May 16, 2025 alleges that the Plaintiff’s healthy left kidney was wrongfully removed during surgery that was intended to remove her diseased spleen. The lawsuit states, in part:

  1. On 3/24/2022, Plaintiff was admitted to Abbott Northwestern Hospital for concerns and treatment of spleen abscess or rupture.
  2. On 3/25/2022, Plaintiff underwent a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis showing a “well-perfused” spleen, meaning the spleen was receiving adequate blood supply.
  3. On 3/26/2022, Plaintiff was ordered onto a clear liquid diet and was scheduled for spleen removal surgery, on Monday, 3/28/2022, after the weekend. Surgery was recommended by John B. Miller, MD, who reviewed the risks of the surgery with Plaintiff and her daughter.
  4. On 3/28/2022, Plaintiff met with Devon Callahan, MD (hereafter “Defendant Callahan”) for the first time, and he recommended Plaintiff undergo the spleen removal surgery. Defendant Callahan reviewed the risks of the procedure with Plaintiff, and they proceeded to the operating room.
  5. On 3/28/2022 Defendant Callahan, with the assistance of other medical professionals (including but not limited to doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, technicians, hereafter “other medical professionals”) performed an open
    laparotomy procedure on Plaintiff in which Plaintiff’s left kidney was removed instead of her spleen.
  6. The 3/28/2022 post-operative CT scan showed that Plaintiff’s left kidney was removed instead of her spleen, and that remaining spleen tissue was still present along with infection.
  7. In his 3/28/2022 post operative note, Defendant Callahan documents that he removed an intact spleen during the surgery.
  8. The prior 3/25/2022 CT scan of Plaintiff’s abdomen and pelvis before the surgery indicates that her bilateral kidneys were “unremarkable. No suspicious masses, stones, or hydronephrosis.”
  9. Plaintiff did not consent to the removal of her left kidney by Defendants.
  10. Plaintiff’s post-procedure diagnosis included, but not limited to, splenic abscess, left nephrectomy (left kidney removal), respiratory failure, left pleural effusion, and diastolic heart failure.
  11. Plaintiff remained hospitalized at Abbott Northwestern Hospital until 5/25/2022 due to complications following the removal of her left kidney.
  12. Plaintiff has been diagnosed with stage 5 kidney disease as a direct result of the removal of her left kidney.
  13. Plaintiff now requires specific medical treatment for her current renal function and impairment, including but not limited to, kidney dialysis treatment.

Rappaport v. Callahan, M.D., Hennepin County District Court, Case No. 27-CV-25-9448.

The defendant hospital system issued a statement after the Minnesota medical malpractice lawsuit was filed: “While we will not discuss details of a patient’s care due to privacy laws, the court filings don’t accurately reflect the full picture of the patient’s condition or the life-saving medical care provided. We intend to vigorously defend, in court, the care that was provided.”

Source

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