Man sues over his 'split' penis

A 92-year-old California man is suing his health care provider after he claims his penis completely split in half and eroded as a result of neglect.

Rupert Collins filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. for elder abuse, negligence and unfair business practice stating a septic catheter caused the problem.

He alleges that despite repeated requests to remove the catheter over a period of almost two weeks, his penis became cut and swollen to the point it could not be saved.

Collins was a patient on July 21, 2013 at Napa Valley Care Center, which is not included in the lawsuit, when the problem first developed.

A nurse at the facility sent a fax to Kaiser, according to the complaint.

The fax said, 'that Rupert's penis was red and swollen with what was described as a cut. Rupert had a Foley catheter inserted into his penis.

'May we have a trial of no Foley to give the area a rest.'

According to the lawsuit Kaiser denied the request and there is no documentation that doctors or nurses from the insurer checked on Collin's penis.

The lawsuit states, 'As a direct result of this reckless neglect by Kaiser, the Foley was left in Rupert's red and swollen and cut penis, and his penis began to erode further and further each day.'

On July 23, 2013, there was a medical board care conference about Collins' care, however, the lawsuit states that no representative from Kaiser attended.

'As a direct result of Kaiser's failure to participate, there was no meaningful communication or ongoing assessment and the dire need to remove the catheter from Rupert's eroding penis continued to be ignored,' the complaint states according to the Courthouse News Service.

Another nurse sent another fax to Kaiser on July 30 asking to remove the catheter, but this was again denied, claims the lawsuit.

Then, the next day, Collins' daughter looked at her father's penis herself.

'When Diana examined Rupert's penis, she was horrified at what she saw. Rupert's penis was split completely in half from the tip of his penis all the way down to the scrotum sac,' the complaint states.

She got a third nurse to contact Kaiser, but they allegedly said, 'The penis erosion is normal and will heal on its own.'

However, she pushed for a urologist to see her father who stated, 'that if Rupert had been treated earlier, the penis could have been saved but that the penile erosion was now complete, Rupert's penis would never heal and that reconstructive surgery was not a viable option,' the complaint states.

'Rupert's penis and urethra is permanently eroded away and Rupert has suffered permanent genital mutilation,' it continues.'

Collins is currently seeking general, special and treble damages for his loss.

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