A young man’s life forever changed after what was supposed to be a routine procedure turned into a devastating surgical error at North Hills Passavant Hospital in May 1974. Losing one’s penis during a “routine” urologic or corrective surgery is exceedingly rare. However, similar cases are not unheard of.
That year, 21-year-old Harold Michael was admitted to North Hills Passavant Hospital near Pittsburgh for a surgery intended to correct an undescended testicle. Instead, Michael emerged from the operation without his penis, a catastrophic error attributed to surgeon Walter Nettrour Sr. and the hospital.
