Patient Loses Leg In Routine Knee Surgery At UCI Medical Center

IRVINE, CA — An Orange County electrician who went to UCI Medical Center in 2024 for routine knee surgery is suing the University of California Board of Regents for alleged negligence that led to the amputation of his left leg, The Orange County Register reported.

According to the article, 58-year-old Wayne Wolff checked into the hospital last year to undergo surgery to repair his meniscus by the hospital's head of sports medicine and UC Irvine team doctor Dean Wang.

However, the doctor accidentally severed and cauterized what he initially said was a vein, but turned out to be a major artery, the newspaper reported. The problem went unchecked for days despite Wolff's extreme pain and the lack of pulse in his left foot — ultimately, when the mistake was discovered, it was too late to save the patient's leg.

To read the full story, visit The Orange County Register.