Surgeon Accused of Removing Bladder Instead of Ovarian Cyst.

Surgeon Accused of Removing Bladder Instead of Ovarian Cyst.

In the USA.

The news as it trends.

In a case that has stunned the medical community, 40-year-old Emily Mitchell of Skowhegan, Maine, filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health following a catastrophic surgical error.

Mitchell entered the operating room expecting a routine procedure to remove an ovarian cyst.

Instead, she emerged without a bladder.

According to the lawsuit filed in Kennebec County Superior Court, surgeon Dr. Danielle Gagnon allegedly failed to follow standard safety protocols, resulting in the removal of Mitchell’s healthy bladder.

The error went unnoticed until a second surgery revealed fragments of bladder tissue—but no ovarian material.

Mitchell now suffers permanent injuries, including chronic infections and severe complications.

Her husband, Joshua Mitchell, is also suing for loss of companionship.

The hospital has since terminated Dr. Gagnon’s employment and attributed the incident to surgical negligence—a term that accurately describes the failure to meet the accepted standard of care.

This case has sparked urgent calls for accountability and reform in surgical practices across Maine.

How such a grave mistake occurred remains a haunting question.