An Ohio woman battling cancer became a double amputee after a surgeon allegedly removed the wrong leg during a required procedure, according to a lawsuit.
Sharon Jacks was scheduled to undergo a below-the-knee amputation of her right leg at Selby General Hospital in Marietta on Sept. 19, 2025. Instead, she awoke to discover that her left leg had been removed, according to the 32-page complaint obtained by WBNS.
“She went into surgery, and when she woke up, the wrong leg had been taken off,” Jacks’ attorney, Brad Layne, told the outlet. “It defies explanation, obviously.”
Doctors later amputated Jacks’ right leg, the limb originally designated for surgery, leaving her without either leg.
Jacks filed the lawsuit against her surgeon, other members of the operating team and the hospital on Sept. 15.
In a statement, Layne said “there is simply no excuse” for what happened to his client, WCHS reported.
Layne alleged that a “complete and total failure by multiple medical professionals caused this catastrophe.”
“Despite several opportunities to identify the mistake and stop the procedure, the surgical team somehow never noticed they were operating on the wrong leg,” he said.
“Now every day for the rest of her life, Sharon Jacks must live with the consequences of those failures.”
Medical records reviewed by Jacks’ attorney indicate that the surgeon marked the correct leg before the operation. However, the wrong leg was ultimately removed.
“The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off,” Layne claimed.
The lawsuit says the surgical team conducted two “time-outs” before Jacks’ procedure.
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According to the complaint, these safety checks are intended to confirm the patient’s identity, the planned operation and the correct surgical site before an incision is made.
“Every person in that operating room is responsible to make sure that that is verified before moving forward, and that includes the doctor, the staff, the nurses, the anesthesiologist, everybody that’s involved,” Layne argued.
“The records say that happened twice, but somehow Ms. Jacks is missing a leg that should have not been removed,” the attorney said, referring to the documented “time-outs.”
Wrong-site surgery is regarded as one of the most serious preventable medical errors. The lawsuit describes it as a “never event,” a term widely recognized across the healthcare industry.
“It shouldn’t happen in any type of medicine. It shouldn’t happen anywhere. It shouldn’t happen in a veterinary setting, even,” Jacks’ attorney said.
The hospital, surgeon and surgical-team members named as defendants are accused of “a complete failure of basic safety procedures.”
Jacks’ complaint includes nine counts, among them gross negligence, reckless conduct and corporate negligence.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment and loss of enjoyment of life.
In a statement to WBNS, Selby General Hospital confirmed an “adverse surgical event” occurred in September 2025 and that the team “responded immediately to address the medical needs of the patient involved and provide support to their family.”
“Our proactive review of what took place confirmed this was an avoidable event, and that our expected operating room procedures were not followed. Those involved were held accountable for their actions and are no longer in their positions,” the statement read in part.
The hospital noted that it has “fully cooperated with a review by the Ohio Department of Health, which confirmed our surgical protocols are safe and effective” and their “clinical and leadership teams have implemented corrective measures across our organization to prevent a situation like this from recurring.”
The Post reached out to Selby General Hospital – Memorial Health System and Jacks’ attorney for comment.