A Davenport orthopedic surgeon was fined $2,500 by the state after he admitted to performing surgery on the wrong ankle of a patient.
Tuvi Mendel, M.D., 49, agreed to the fine as part of an August 8, 2014 settlement agreement with the Iowa Medical Board.
Mendel “inadvertently performed surgery on a patient’s left ankle when the patient was scheduled to undergo surgery on the right ankle,” according to a statement from the board. The procedure happened in November 2013.
Mendel recognized his error after the procedure was completed, and he immediately told the patient and her family, the statement said. The patient chose to undergo surgery on the right ankle as well.
Mendel was issued a citation and warning, ordered to pay a $2,500 civil penalty and he submitted a written plan to the state, outlining steps he had taken to avoid such errors in the future. By law, the disciplinary action is also reported a the National Practitioner Data Bank.
“Dr. Tuvi Mendel is the head of Orthopaedic Specialist’s Foot and Ankle Center, and is known as one of the leading foot and ankle surgeons in the Quad Cities,” according to the Orthopaedic Specialist’s website.
