Authorities in New York are demanding more medical transparency after NBC New York broke a story about a patient who underwent a c-section, despite not being pregnant. According to deposition testimony obtained by the media outlet, two doctors at New York Downtown Hospital testified under oath that they were aware of a c-section that was performed on a patient who was not pregnant. The depositions were the result of a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the hospital by a former resident physician. Contradictory to that testimony, a hospital spokesperson denied that such an error ever occurred, but cited patient privacy laws when  refusing to elaborate. According to multiple OB/GYN’s, performing a c-section on a non-pregnant woman should be impossible.

State regulations require hospitals to report incorrect surgical procedures that involve anesthesia prior to a surgical incision. The State Department of Health is charged with overseeing medical professionals and facilities, and is undertaking its own investigation into the incident. State Senator Michael Gianaris believes   “there is far too much discretion given to those who have made the mistakes as to whether it is reportable or not. Obviously the incentive if somebody screws up is not to tell anybody about it,” and is pushing for more rigid reporting standards.

Read more at NBC New York.