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Surgeon who amputated the wrong leg of an elderly patient fined less than $3,100

A surgeon who said it was "human error" after amputating the wrong leg of an 82-year-old patient in May was found guilty of gross negligence by an Austrian court and fined the equivalent of $3,050.

Half of the fine was suspended for the 43-year-old surgeon, a court spokesperson in Linz, Austria, told The Guardian.

The surgeon said she realized the mistake two days after the surgery, The Guardian reported.

The patient suffered from multiple medical conditions that affected both of his legs. The man still needed the correct leg amputated after the mix-up, CNN reported in May.

"A disastrous combination of circumstances led to the patient's right leg being amputated instead of his left," Freistadt Clinic told CNN in a statement.

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The man died before the case went before a judge, and the court awarded his widow $5,655 in damages plus interest.

The surgeon has changed clinics and said there was a flaw in the chain of command, The Guardian reported.

Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Surgeon found guilty in Austria after amputating wrong leg of patient