# Balls-up at VA hospital. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831 "2007-04-05T05:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/1 "2007-04-05T05:35:08Z")
[Offered without comment, but with much sympathy](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BOTCHED_SURGERY?SITE=FLPEJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT): > [@](#): > > An Air Force veteran has filed a federal claim after an operation at a Veterans Administration hospital in which a healthy testicle was removed instead of a potentially cancerous one. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/2 "2007-04-05T11:09:49Z")
Damn. thats nuts! Er, I mean nut. Singular. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/3 "2007-04-05T12:48:39Z")
Well, I don’t believe this story. Paul Krugman [has assured us](http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2007/03/lessons-from-va.html) that V.A. health care is a model for the whole country: \*"Well, I know about a health care system that has been highly successful in containing costs, yet provides excellent care. And the story of this system’s success provides a helpful corrective to anti-government ideology. For the government doesn’t just pay the bills in this system – it runs the hospitals and clinics. No, I’m not talking about some faraway country. The system in question is our very own Veterans Health Administration, whose success story is one of the best-kept secrets in the American policy debate."\* ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/4 "2007-04-05T12:59:13Z")
\*Eeny, meeny, miny, moe Testicles of GI Joe Good or bad, who’s to know Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. My doctor sold me On cutting the very best one And you are it.\* ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/5 "2007-04-05T13:02:02Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] \*Eeny, meeny, miny, moe Testicles of GI Joe Good or bad, who’s to know Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. My doctor sold me On cutting the very best one And you are it.\* [/QUOTE] _ **I love you, man!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/6 "2007-04-05T13:47:10Z")
Even in a well run hospital, a screwup can happen. The VA is in general very well run. Doesn’t mean this particular veteran doesn’t have a claim. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/7 "2007-04-05T13:57:26Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] The VA is in general very well run. [/QUOTE] Cite (apart from the above)? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/8 "2007-04-05T14:23:24Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] Cite (apart from the above)? [/QUOTE] This is anecdotal, but I just read a [letter](http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/letters/hc-lets0331.artmar31,0,6260714.story?page=3&coll=hc-headlines-letters) that was in my local paper this last weekend: > [@](#): > > Veteran Notes Proper Care > > I am an 88-year-old veteran… > > …[M]any facilities are providing exceptional service for veterans. One of these is the Veterans Affairs facility in Newington. I have been going there for many years. > > First, the facility: It actually shines because it is so clean…As the old saying goes, you could eat off the floor. > > I attend this facility because I have heart trouble and breathing and prostate problems. I have found people in these departments to be kind, courteous and helpful. Service with a smile seems to be the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/9 "2007-04-05T16:04:37Z")
He is only asking for $200,000?? Good grief, I’d be asking for a lot more than that. Especially if the other one ends up having to go as well. I would need a lot more comp than that to spend the rest of my life as a eunuch. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balls-up-at-va-hospital/398831/10 "2007-04-05T19:56:44Z")
I swear to gahd, if I ever have to have an operation on any paired body part, I’m gonna have “NOT THIS ONE, YOU IDIOT!” indelibly tattooed on the other one.