A cancer-stricken Ohio woman who underwent a required amputation procedure last year is now a double amputee — after her surgeon allegedly cut off the wrong leg, according to a lawsuit.
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surgeon → stricken → lawsuit
Sharon Jacks was set to have a below-the-knee amputation of her right leg at Selby General Hospital in Marietta, Ohio, on Sept. 19, 2025, but was left shocked when she woke up to her left leg gone, according to the 32-page complaint obtained by WBNS.
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leg → set → WBNS
“She went into surgery, and when she woke up, the wrong leg had been taken off,” Jacks’ attorney Brad Layne told the outlet.
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Layne → go → outlet
“It defies explanation, obviously.”
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It → defy → explanation
Doctors later had to remove the leg that was originally scheduled for surgery, which has left Jacks as a double amputee.
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which → have → amputee
Jacks filed a lawsuit against her surgeon, other members of the surgical team and the hospital on Sept. 15.
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Jacks → file → Sept.
In a press release, Jacks’ attorney argued “there is simply no excuse” for what happened to his client, WCHS reported.
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WCHS → argue → client
Layne alleged that “complete and total failure by multiple medical professionals caused this catastrophe.”
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failure → allege → 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.
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he → identify → leg
Medical records reviewed by Jacks’ attorney indicate the surgeon initially marked the correct leg before she went under the knife — but the wrong leg was still chopped off.
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leg → review → knife
“The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off,” Layne claimed.
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Layne → take → leg
According to the suit, the medical team carried out two surgical “time-outs” prior to Jacks’ procedure.
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team → accord → procedure
“Time-outs” are conducted to confirm the patient’s identity, the planned operation and the correct surgical site before an incision is made, according to the complaint.
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incision → conduct → complaint
“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.
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Layne → make → doctor
“The records say that happened twice, but somehow Ms. Jacks is missing a leg that should have not been removed,” the attorney said of the documented “time-outs.”
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attorney → say → outs
Wrong-site surgery is considered one of the most serious preventable medical mishaps and is often referred to as a “never event,” a term that is recognized throughout the healthcare industry, the suit claims.
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suit → consider → industry
“It shouldn’t happen in any type of medicine.
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It → happen → medicine
It shouldn’t happen anywhere.
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It → happen → ?
It shouldn’t happen in a veterinary setting, even,” Jacks’ attorney said.
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attorney → happen → setting
Jacks’ complaint alleges nine counts, including gross negligence, reckless conduct, and corporate negligence.
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complaint → allege → negligence
The lawsuit also seeks compensatory and punitive damages for Jacks to cover past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life.
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lawsuit → seek → 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.”
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team → confirm → family
“Our proactive review of what took place confirmed this was an avoidable event, and that our expected operating room procedures were not followed.
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procedures → take → place
Those involved were held accountable for their actions and are no longer in their positions,” the statement read in part.
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statement → involve → 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.”
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teams → note → this
The Post reached out to Selby General Hospital – Memorial Health System and Jacks’ attorney for comment.
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Post → reach → comment
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