A Massachusetts doctor removed a kidney from the wrong patient after mistakenly reading the CT scan of another man with the same name taken on the same day.

Dr. Ankur Parikh, 37, was reprimanded after he admitted to the error last month.

The urologist removed a healthy kidney from 65-year-old Albert Hubbard in 2016 after man with the exact same name as him had the exact same scan of the abdomen and pelvis on July 8.

He told the wrong Mr Hubbard, from Worcester, that the organ must be removed, and that he likely had less than five years to live.

 

His actual CT scan had showed his kidney findings were normal.

On hearing the news dad-of-three Mr Hubbard said he was 'in shock', telling The Telegram & Gazette: 'I was hearing it, but it wasn't sinking in. He said he had to take it out right away. It shattered me.'

Following the surgery at St. Vincent hospital the doctor came to see Mr Hubbard and is said to have told him 'there's been a real bad mistake'.

 

Albert Hubbard, pictured, wrongly had a kidney removed after Dr. Ankur Parikh mistakenly read the CT scan of another man with the same name
Albert said: 'He said, 'There's been a real bad mistake. We took out your kidney by accident. 'It almost felt like a dream, except that it wasn't.'

'I'm overly cautious now. I only have one kidney. I can't let anything happen to it.'

Former long-distance runner Mr Hubbard had been complaining of blood in his urine. He told the medic his first and last name which Parikh then entered into UMass Memorial's records system.

The doctor told reportedly the patient he had a large tumor on his kidney that needed to be removed and 12 days later organ was taken out at St. Vincent Hospital.

It was only when a a pathologist found the kidney to be healthy that Mr Hubbard was told of the error.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that the state Board of Registration in Medicine issued its reprimand and catalogued three mistakes on Parikh's part it said fell below the standard of care.

They included electing to remove the kidney despite observing it wasn't heavy with tumors. He also did not reportedly check the men's dates of birth.

He also is accused of still performing the surgery despite not being able to access UMass Memorial's medical records system on the day.

Mr. Hubbard was an 'add on' patient which meant Dr Parikh had also not looked at his records at the start of the day, according to the consent order.

According to official documents Dr. Parikh has privileges at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Marlborough Hospital and St. Vincent hospital.

Parikh did not return a message left at his Worcester office Wednesday.

Mr. Hubbard still has a lawsuit pending against the medic as well as St. Vincent, UMass Memorial Medical Group and other staff.

 

The state Board of Registration in Medicine issued its reprimand to Dr. Ankur Parikh following the surgery at St. Vincent Hospital.

 

His attorney, Jeffrey S. Raphaelson, said the institutions named in the suit 'continue to deny responsibility for what happened'.

He added: 'In our view, this was a systemic problem.'

Both St. Vincent and UMass Memorial told DailyMail.com they would not be commenting.

The patient with the diseased kidney, who is 70, is said to be remission after it was removed in August.

He said: 'My kidney was taken out because I had cancer; he didn't. I'd sue too, if that was me.'