An Ohio woman battling cancer became a double amputee after a surgeon allegedly removed the wrong leg during a procedure, according to a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Sharon Jacks was scheduled to undergo a below-the-knee amputation on her right leg at Selby General Hospital in Marietta on Sept. 19, 2025. Instead, the 32-page complaint obtained by WBNS says she awoke to discover that her left leg had been amputated.
“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 performed the planned amputation on Jacks’ right leg, leaving her without either leg.
Jacks filed a lawsuit on Sept. 15 against the surgeon, other members of the operating team and the hospital.
In a statement, Layne said there was “simply no excuse” for what happened to his client, WCHS reported.
The attorney accused multiple medical professionals of a “complete and total failure” that led to what he called a devastating medical error.
Layne alleged that the surgical team had several chances to catch the mistake before and during the operation, yet failed to recognize that doctors were working on the wrong leg.
“Now every day for the rest of her life, Sharon Jacks must live with the consequences of those failures,” he said.
Records reviewed by Jacks’ attorney reportedly show that the surgeon marked her right leg before the operation. Despite that marking, the complaint says, the left leg was amputated.
“The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off,” Layne alleged.
The lawsuit states that the surgical team completed two separate “time-outs” before beginning the procedure.
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According to the complaint, these safety checks are intended to confirm the patient’s identity, the planned procedure and the correct surgical site before surgery starts.
Layne said responsibility for completing that verification rests with everyone involved in the operation, including the surgeon, nurses, other staff members and anesthesiologist.
“The records say that happened twice, but somehow Ms. Jacks is missing a leg that should have not been removed,” the attorney said.
The complaint describes wrong-site surgery as one of the healthcare industry’s most serious preventable errors. Such incidents are commonly known as “never events” because they are not supposed to occur.
“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 members of the surgical team are named as defendants and accused of failing to follow basic patient-safety procedures.
Jacks’ complaint includes nine claims, among them gross negligence, reckless conduct and corporate negligence.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for medical costs already incurred and future treatment, as well as pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent disability and the 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.
