Chinese man operated on for haemorrhoids by mistake

When the man was in theatre he was asked to drop his trousers and lie on the operating table. Photo / via People's Daily

A man waiting anxiously for the birth of his baby outside a hospital ward in China was ushered into theatre by doctors and given an operation on his haemorrhoids in a case of mistaken identity.

The expectant father, named Mr Wang in reports, was mixed up with another patient on Monday who had completed the paperwork for the procedure and was waiting to be operated on.

Doctors at the Shenyang Hunnan Xinqu Hospital in China asked Wang to accompany them. However, the father to be thought he would be taken to a room to aid in his wife's birth.

The confusion was further fuelled by the fact the hospital only has two operation rooms and Wang thought he was being taken to the room where his wife was in labour, according to the state run People's Daily.

In the theatre the man was asked to drop his trousers and lie on the operating table.

"It felt strange, and I asked why," he told the news outlet. "They said: 'Just do what we tell you'."

With Wang on the table the doctors applied anaesthetic and proceeded to remove his haemorrhoids.

"I really never knew I had haemorrhoids," the 29-year-old said.

"When I was on the operating table I heard a baby crying and I was very happy, and I wanted to hold it.

"But I couldn't move because I started to feel pain."

It is unclear if the unsuspecting patient had a general or local anaesthetic.

Wang confirmed that his wife gave birth to a healthy baby via Caesarian section.

The hospital reportedly offered the man 5000 yuan ($1046) compensation for the mix up although negotiations between both parties are still on going.