Texas family lawsuit alleges surgeon gave 4-year-old vasectomy during hernia operation

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A Texas family is suing Texas Children's hospital, alleging their four-year-old received a vasectomy during a surgery to treat a hernia in his groin.

During the surgery, the boy received an "unintended" vasectomy, said Randy Sorrels, the family's attorney.

"The standard procedure is to properly identify the anatomy, and then you cut. I think the surgeon failed to properly identify the anatomy before cutting," Sorrels told Fox News Digital. 

Sorrels said the mistake is a "rare" one.

  (istock)

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"I've seen this mistake happen in different case, but never a surgeon who cuts the vas deferens of a four-year-old. That's very rare, but it's pretty simple. You properly identify the anatomy before you cut it." 

The family, which has filed a lawsuit for medical negligence, is concerned about the impact it will have on the child, and his potential partners.

"The worse long term effect is the impact on the four-year-old's reproductive process that will require him to go through artificial reproductive procedures," Sorrels said. "I don't think it'll be an impossibility to have children, but it could make it more difficult." 

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The medical malpractice attorney says the family looks to receive $500,000 in damages from Texas Children's Hospital, the most a party can receive in the state of Texas for such an incident. The number is derived from the cost of the medical expense for potential artificial reproduction procedures.

Texas Children's Hospital was recognized as No. 2 among the best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report Tuesday morning. The hospital was ranked 3rd last year.

FOX News Digital has reached out to Texas Children's Hospital for comment on the family's lawsuit.