Wuhan man undergoes total gastrectomy following stomach cancer misdiagnosis

A man in Wuhan, Hubei Province, underwent a total gastrectomy after being misdiagnosed with stomach cancer. The patient, identified as Mr. Ngô, originally sought emergency care for severe abdominal pain, which was initially diagnosed as a gastric ulcer.

Following a consultation where a professor suspected malignancy, the family moved the patient to a different hospital for treatment without informing him of the cancer suspicion. Despite a previous biopsy showing no cancer cells, doctors at the new facility proceeded with surgery. During the procedure, the surgical plan was escalated from a partial to a total removal of the stomach and 15 lymph nodes due to suspected cancer.

Post-operative pathology results confirmed that no cancer cells were present. Three months after the surgery, the patient has been suffering from chronic symptoms, including bloating and diarrhea. Mr. Ngô expressed frustration, stating that he would not have consented to the surgery had he known the true nature of the diagnosis or the lack of a definitive biopsy.