In 2022, Fernando Cluster suffered a brain bleed that required emergency surgery at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital Midtown. As part of the brain surgery, physicians temporarily removed a 12-by-15 centimeter piece of his skull. The "brain flap" was to be reinstalled during a later operation, a common procedure following brain surgery. Unfortunately, the hospital apparently misplaced that piece of Cluster's skull. Or rather, they couldn't determine which flap in their collection belongs to Cluster.
"When Emory's personnel went to retrieve the bone flap, 'there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification' and therefore, Emory 'could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster,'" states in a lawsuit that Cluster and his wife filed against the hospital.
Eventually, Cluster's noggin was sealed up with a synthetic bone flap but, according to NBC News, that resulted in "medical expenses in excess of $146,845.60," additional hospital stay, and a surgery to treat a resulting infection.
No word on whether the hospital found the owners of the other unidentified bone flaps.
Previously:
• Stone Age humans had 4-inch holes drilled in their skulls to free the demons inside
• Lawsuit: woman 'propped up' to appear alive after she died during routine surgery
• Four Tops singer forced into straitjacket during a heart attack for claiming to be Four Tops singer
