Not Hair Loss News – Patient Loses Penile Implant Malpractice Lawsuit

Snippet from the article:

By now, the words have become a permanent part of the national lexicon: “For erections lasting longer than 4 hours, seek immediate medical assistance,” warn ads for various erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs.

But what of the patient whose ED treatment consists not of a drug but a penile implant — someone whose erection lasts not 4 hours but 8 months? What does this patient do? Well, if he’s 44-year-old Daniel Metzgar, of Newark, Delaware, he sues his doctor for medical malpractice.

Read the rest — Eight-Month Erection Gives Rise to Malpractice Suit

This patient had a prolonged erection from a penile implant, and because of complications of swelling and eventual extrusion of the implant, he sued his doctor for medical malpractice. The patient received a three piece inflatable implant and had it surgically implanted. He developed scrotal swelling but did not report it to his doctor, though did go to the hospital after 4 months.

In 2010, tubing punctured his scrotum, so he had the initial device taken out and a replacement instrument put in by another doctor. He sued his initial doctor for not putting in the device correctly claiming regular embarrassment and told the jury that he could not ride his motorcycle, wear normal cloths or participate in family events. “I could hardly dance, with an erection poking my partner” the patient said, “It’s not something you want to bring out at parties and show to friends”.

When the jury award came in, the patient lost following the defense’s logic that that sometimes “bad outcomes occur”, even when nobody is at fault.