KANSAS CITY (TIP): An Indian American pathologist in Kansas is facing a lawsuit by a Kansas-based woman who has alleged that she was wrongly diagnosed with having a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which resulted in unnecessary removal of parts of her organs. Wendy Ann Noon Berner of Kansas has filed a case against Dr. Meenakshi Singh, former chairwoman of the pathology department in University of Kansas Hospital. Berner’s lawsuit, which was filed on August 1 in Wyandotte County District Court, names Singh and Dr. Timothy M. Schmitt, who performed her surgery, as defendants, along with the hospital, the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas Physicians.

The lawsuit accuses Dr. Meenakshi Singh, who was leading the pathology department at the time, of making the misdiagnosis and then taking steps to cover up the mistake.

Berner was allegedly misdiagnosed as having a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, following which she underwent a surgery to remove a part of the pancreas and several other internal organs in September 2015, since the condition is believed to be fatal within five years in most cases. The 46-year-old resident of Shawnee says she got to know of the issue only when another pathologist, Dr. Lowell Tilzer, filed a case against the hospital over a year ago, claiming that he was targeted when he discussed the case with the Joint Commission that accredits and certifies hospitals. Tilzer later dropped the case.

The misdiagnosis, according to the lawsuit, came to light when other doctors of the pathology department studied tissue samples from her pancreas after the surgery and found that the organ was not cancerous. The same conclusion was reached by an outside pathologist, it said.

Hospital spokesman Dennis McCulloch said in a statement that the health of its patients remains its top priority. “We need to be respectful of patient privacy and confidentiality, and because of that we are limited in what we can say on this matter,” read the statement. “That said, we do believe that our physicians and staff acted appropriately and with the best interests of our patient in mind.”

Singh remains on staff but is no longer chairwoman of the pathology department, according to the medical center’s website.

Read more at Medical Dialogues: Indian American Pathologist sued for misdiagnosis, coverup https://medicaldialogues.in/indian-american-pathologist-sued-for-misdiagnosis-coverup/
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