RESTON, Va. — A Virginia man has been awarded a large financial settlement after he apparently recorded his doctors belittling and insulting him during a colonoscopy.
The Washington Post reports that the man hit record on his cell phone during the procedure in order to save any instructions his doctor would give him. When the man later played the audio, he heard the anesthesiologist and other medical personnel make several comments, including joking that a rash the patient had was syphilis and discussing which nurse would have to talk to him after the procedure.
In the recording that was entered as evidence in the case, the anesthesiologist reportedly said:
“After five minutes of talking to you in pre-op, I wanted to punch you in the face and man you up a little bit.”
The anesthesiologist also reportedly said she was going to mark on his medical chart that he had hemorrhoids “even though we don’t see them and probably won’t.”
The Washington Post reports that a jury ordered the doctor and her practice to pay the man $500,000.
