Doctor's misdiagnosis causes teen to lose left testis

On March 22, 2019, a teen had gone to a clinic to get his abdominal pain checked.

The boy, who was then between 15 and 16 years old, complained of pain in his left abdomen which had started from his left testis. He was also experiencing diarrhoea.

Dr Yeo Khee Hong, who has more than 40 years of experience, performed a physical examination but did not find any abnormal mass or torsion in the left testis.

Testicular torsion is a condition where the spermatic cord, which provides blood flow to the testicle, becomes twisted and blood supply is cut off.

Dr Yeo diagnosed the boy with colic and prescribed some medicine.

Five days later, the boy returned to the clinic, complaining of swelling in his left testis and a pain that would be aggravated by movement or when he sat down.

Still not considering the possibility of torsion, Dr Yeo diagnosed the boy with an infection and inflammation of the testicle and prescribed antibiotics.

On April 1 – 10 days after the first consultation – Dr Yeo advised the boy's father to take his son to hospital after he complained that his son was experiencing severe pain.

The boy underwent surgery to remove his left testis after he was discovered to have a tender and swollen left testis.

According to the disciplinary tribunal, the boy had more than 90 per cent chance of salvaging his testis had Dr Yeo referred him to the emergency room or a specialist right from the start.

Singapore Medical Council said “a reasonable and competent doctor” would not have ruled out testicular torsion without referring the patient to the hospital's emergency department or a specialist first.

Dr Yeo has been suspended from practice for 12 months.