RIDOH investigates wrong-site surgery

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is investigating a wrong-site surgery performed at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) on October 22.

In a statement released to Eyewitness News, hospital officials confirm a patient scheduled for hand surgery on two fingers had a procedure performed on the wrong finger in the outpatient surgery center.

The patient had the correct procedure performed, was informed of the error, and was discharged from the hospital. The patient is at home, and is doing well, hospital officials said.

Hospital and Lifespan leadership were alerted to the incident.

"We have begun a thorough analysis with hospital leadership, the physicians, and the team from the operating room. Thus far, we have identified an ambiguity in the timeout process for hand surgery when more than one procedure is being performed which may have contributed to the error. " said Timothy Babineau, MD, in a statement.

In June, 14 hospitals in the state agreed to adopt standard protocols to prevent wrong-site surgeries. They were developed after a series of wrong-site surgeries in hospitals throughout the state.

The new protocol, which went into effect July 1, includes having two licensed providers mark the operation site, requiring surgeons to mark the site with their initials and using a checklist before surgeries.