Doctor for grossly negligent homicide: Verdict in the case of a 79-year-old

Doctor for grossly negligent homicide: Verdict in the case of a 79-year-old

In a current case from the Waldviertel, a 58-year-old urologist was sentenced to 15 months of partial imprisonment in Krems on Friday for grossly negligent homicide. The court found that the doctor deviated from established medical standards during an operation on a 79-year-old woman, which led to fatal consequences. The decision is not yet final, which means that further legal dispute is possible.

The incidents occurred on February 9, 2023. The urologist who led the operation acted contrary to the decision of a medical team. Instead of the originally planned endoscopic procedure, which included a catheter exchange and the crushing of kidney stones, the doctor decided to open the patient's abdominal cavity. Bleeding occurred during the operation and required immediate medical intervention. The public prosecutor's office argued that a vascular blockage then had to be inserted, which led to serious circulatory problems in the left leg and ultimately led to a thigh amputation.

The tragic outcome

The 79-year-old patient died on February 14, 2023 of cardiovascular failure, which the public prosecutor sees as a direct connection to the errors during the operation. The doctor himself denied all allegations and emphasized in his defense that he had treated the patient entrusted to him responsibly. A colleague who appeared as a witness during the proceedings confirmed the deviation from the planned procedure, which underlined the position of the prosecution.

The court now found that the urologist's actions were classified as grossly negligent because he had not sufficiently taken into account the risks of such an invasive procedure. The 15-month sentence he receives includes five months that must be served. On Friday afternoon, when the verdict was announced, the defense attorney asked for time to think about how to proceed.

Given the scope of the case and its relevance to medical practice, it remains to be seen what further steps will be taken. The ruling once again highlights how important it is for doctors to follow established treatment guidelines to ensure the well-being of their patients. Further details on this topic can be found in a report from noe.orf.at.