Japanese surgeon removes healthy brain tissue, leaving woman on ventilator

A Japanese woman was left unable to breathe on her own after a veteran surgeon mistakenly removed healthy tissue instead of a benign tumour from her brain.

Kyoto University Hospital apologised for the medical error and vowed to take measures to prevent similar incidents, local news outlet TV Asahi reported.

The woman, in her fifties, was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour after consulting doctors for dizziness and unsteadiness. Although she was able to carry out her daily activities, she agreed to undergo surgery to remove the growth, which had formed inside the cerebellopontine angle deep within the brain.

The 10-hour operation was considered complex as there were nerves surrounding the area. A team of three surgeons – led by a doctor with more than 20 years of neurosurgery experience – performed the procedure in late July.