June 28, 2008 -  In an unusual case of medical negligence, an Indian origin doctor named Santusht Perera was found guilty of lying and of removing the wrong lung during surgery. The state Board of Medical Examiners in New Jersey decided to suspend his license and also slapped a fine of $81,000 on him.

The case involved a lung cancer patient called Richard Flagg. In September 2000 Dr Perera operated on his lungs and removed the right lung whereas the tumor was located in the left one. Thereafter to cover his mistake, Dr Perera lied and said that a larger tumor had been found in the right lung and hence had to be removed.

The surgery was performed at the Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus. Examination of the right lung tissue after surgery did not find any cancer in it.

Dr Perera also altered Mr Flagg's medical records to show that he always intended to operate on the right lung. Perera currently practices at Hoboken University Medical Center has been suspended for two years and has the right to appeal for restoration of his medical license after six months.

The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners also said the tragic error could have been prevented had Dr Perera bothered to take basic and minimal action ahead of the surgery.

According to a study by Dr. Chunliu Zhan and Dr. Marlene R. Miller published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in October 2003, medical errors cause up to 98,000 deaths annually in the United States.