Jury awards $1.4M to man who got vasectomy, not circumcision

DES MOINES, Iowa — A jury in Iowa has awarded $1.4 million to a Burmese immigrant who wanted a circumcision but instead got a vasectomy.

The Des Moines Register reports that the jury last week levelled a $2 million judgment against Dr. Kevin Birusingh, who performed the vasectomy.

But jurors decided the man who filed the lawsuit, Zaw Zaw, was 30% responsible.

Zaw is a 41-year-old refugee from Myanmar. He sued in November 2017, nearly two years after the errant procedure.

Birusingh’s attorney says Zaw, who is not fluent in English, signed two informed consents that were translated into Burmese, and completed four consultations before undergoing the procedure.

The lawsuit says there’s no word for “vasectomy” in Burmese.

Zaw’s attorney, Marc Harding, says a doctor’s referral documents showed Zaw was seeking a circumcision.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

The Associated Press