Court awards compensation to woman who lost her kidney due to misdiagnosis

In 2018, Ebru Ünal visited a private hospital in Ankara complaining of back, kidney, and abdominal pain, where she was examined by a doctor named H.B. The doctor told Ünal that there was a potentially fatal mass in her kidney and that she needed emergency surgery. Following this diagnosis, Ünal underwent surgery and her left kidney was removed. However, a pathological examination revealed that there was no need to remove the kidney, that she had lymphoma, and that it could have been treated with chemotherapy.

COURT PROCESS AND DECISION

Forced to live with a single kidney due to the misdiagnosis, Ünal filed a lawsuit against Dr. H.B. at the Ankara 3rd Consumer Court. The court ordered the doctor to pay 30,000 TL in material damages and 200,000 TL in non-pecuniary damages. Additionally, court costs will be collected from the defendant. The doctor's lawyer appealed the decision, arguing that a consent form had been obtained from the patient before the surgery and that the surgical intervention was necessary.

"THEY SAID IT WAS CANCER AND TOOK MY KIDNEY"

Ebru Ünal described the process she went through with these words: “They told me it was cancer and took my kidney. We later learned that it was lymphoma and could have been treated with chemotherapy. Now I live with one kidney, and this process is very difficult. Both my body and my spirit have been worn down. I struggle even in daily life. The fact that I was not informed about the fate of my kidney after the surgery also bothered me.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A SECOND OPINION

Advising everyone to get a second medical opinion to avoid similar situations, Ünal said, “This is a matter of life. My life changed because of a doctor's mistake. I won compensation, but my loss is immense. My health is not coming back. I hope no one else has to experience the same pain.”