Jerrold S. Parker and Herbert L. Waichman, leading US attorneys specialising in protecting victims rights, have come up with a survey of cases on both sides of the Atlantic where surgeons have operated on the wrong side of the body.

Removal of the wrong kidney is quite common. The most common reason is reading the x-rays from the wrong side. Given that x-rays are produced digitally these days it would be trivial for the manufacturers of the imaging system to include some words on the film that made it obvious which way is up. Mind you, I’m surprised that a cancerous kidney cannot be distinguished by sight once they get in there.