WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut gynecologist has been fined $5,000 for mistakenly performing a hysterectomy on a patient he didn’t know was pregnant.
The state Medical Examining Board issued the fine against Dr. Jonathan Foster on Tuesday.
Foster performed a laparoscopic hysterectomy, a procedure that removes the uterus, on the woman at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury in January 2011.
A consent order Foster signed in July says he failed to detect the pregnancy before the operation.
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The order says he relied on the patient’s belief that she wasn’t pregnant. While he did perform a pregnancy test, the order says the result couldn’t be determined either way.
Foster didn’t contest the board’s findings and waived his right to a hearing, which means he accepted the terms to keep his license.