Patient sues Allina Health after surgeon removes wrong organ: Lawsuit

Surgeon allegedly removes wrong organ: Lawsuit

A medical malpractice lawsuit against Allina Health and Dr. Devon Callahan says a Plymouth woman was diagnosed with a kidney disease and required dialysis after having her kidney removed during surgery in 2022 – but it was the wrong organ scheduled for removal. FOX 9’s Rob Olson has the details.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A woman filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Allina Health and her former surgeon after he reportedly removed a kidney instead of her infected spleen.

Wrong organ removed

The backstory:

The lawsuit, filed by a Plymouth woman in Hennepin County court on Friday, alleges Dr. Devon Callahan, the Allia Health System and Allina Health Surgical Specialists committed medial battery and medical malpractice from a surgery in March 2022, when the incorrect organ was removed.

Court documents indicated that on March 24, 2022, the woman was admitted to Abbott Northwestern Hospital for a possible abscess or rupture of her spleen. A doctor recommended spleen removal surgery, and scheduled the procedure for March 28.  

The patient was met by Dr. Callahan on the morning of the surgery. He reportedly reviewed the risks of the procedure before proceeding into the operation room. The lawsuit claims the doctor performed an open laparotomy procedure, and mistakenly removed the woman’s left kidney instead of her spleen. 

Although Dr. Callahan’s postoperative note stated he removed an "intact spleen during the surgery," a post-op CT scan revealed the infected spleen remained, and the kidney was missing, according to the lawsuit. 

The woman remained hospitalized for nearly two months due to complications from having the wrong organ removed. She was diagnosed with a kidney disease and requires dialysis treatment, according to court records.

The lawsuit indicates the woman is seeking financial compensation in excess of $50,000, in addition to paying attorney fees. 

Allina Health statement 

What they're saying:

When asked about the lawsuit, Allina Health issued the following statement to FOX 9: 

"Allina Health is aware of the lawsuit and has had the case reviewed by medical experts. While we will not discuss details of a patient’s care due to privacy laws, the court filings don’t accurately reflect the full picture of the patient’s condition or the life-saving medical care provided. We intend to vigorously defend, in court, the care that was provided."

Dig deeper:

Dr. Callahan practiced medicine in Minnesota from 2016 to 2023, when his license expired. The Allina Health website states that Callahan served as Trauma Medical Director at Abbott Nonwestern Hospital and West Regional Director of Surgery at Allina Health.  

Dr. Callahan's license is currently active in California, with no disciplinary actions reported by either the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice or the Medical Board of California websites.