From Ken Bidgood
Your correspondent Linda Shields is puzzled that a kidney was removed in an
operation for an ovarian cyst
(22 January, p 51).
Sadly, although the kidney is retroperitoneal and thus strictly outside the
abdominal cavity, it can get in all sorts of difficult positions, and a
gynaecologist may inadvertently remove a pelvic kidney thinking it was an
ovarian cyst. As a practising gynaecological surgeon, I find these hazards haunt
my deepest dreams.
Taunton, Devon
