In France, Teen Has All Wisdom Teeth Removed by Mistake Instead of Ankle Surgery

In France, a teenage girl who was due to undergo ankle surgery woke up from general anaesthesia to find cotton wool packed in her mouth — surgeons had mistakenly removed all four of her wisdom teeth instead of performing the planned procedure, reports La Voix du Nord.

The ankle operation had been scheduled well in advance, at the start of the summer holidays, so the girl would have time to recover before returning to school in September. But when she came round after the anaesthetic, the patient was stunned to discover that her leg still moved freely, while her mouth bore all the signs of dental surgery.

The teenager's family says they are still in shock. "I still can't believe it. Things like this only happen in films," the girl's mother said. She recalled that when she walked into the recovery room, she burst into tears, and the whole family was left reeling. A surgeon later approached her to apologise, but she told him she never wanted to see him again.

It later emerged that the anaesthetic given to the girl had been calculated for a different patient — a younger girl who was actually scheduled to have her wisdom teeth removed. According to the mother, the consequences could have been far more serious given the mismatch in anaesthesia dosage. "The risks were enormous. Mistakes like this simply cannot happen," she said.

The clinic's management, according to Le Figaro, has apologised for mixing up the two patients, describing the incident as "an exceptional and deeply regrettable situation." The clinic said it has launched an internal investigation to establish the exact circumstances and causes.

"Our priority remains the young patient's health and wellbeing, along with supporting her family and establishing a full picture of what happened," the clinic said in a statement. On the day of the incident, management met with the girl's relatives and offered them compensation, the amount of which has not been disclosed. However, the parents refused to sign the relevant document and said they intend to pursue justice through the courts.

The patient's mother also said her daughter will now find it extremely difficult to agree to another hospital stay for the ankle operation. "Ever since, she's been suffering from anxiety and insomnia. So have I — my hands shake constantly. It will be a long time before my daughter agrees to go back into hospital," she admitted.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz