Man who had a 30-hour erection gets £41,000 in damages after suing doctors (and his wife also gets £4,000)

A man who had an erection for 30 hours has been awarded £41,000 after accusing a Spanish hospital of malpractice.

The unnamed 36-year-old first sought help at a health center in Albaida, near the east coast city of Valencia, four hours after his penis failed to return to its normal size.

He was diagnosed with priapism, which can happen after sexual arousal, but also without sexual arousal. In the worst case, the blood cannot drain from the penis.

After the diagnosis, he went to the nearby Ontinyent Hospital, but according to the claimant, there was a delay in the treatment he needed.

The man made a second visit to hospital with his troubled wife 20 hours after his problems began, but was allegedly told he had to wait for a visit to a urologist with a ‘preferred appointment’.

After complaining, he was referred to another hospital, where he was eventually admitted with fever, which in some cases may be accompanied by priapism and other signs of infection.

Medics eventually drained the blood from his penis and he returned to the hospital a few days later for surgery to fit a malleable penile prosthesis.

But it caused a new problem because it was ‘ill-fitting’ and the patient needed a second operation.

A man who had an erection for 30 hours has been awarded £41,000 after accusing a Spanish hospital of malpractice (File image)

After diagnosis, he went to nearby Ontinyent Hospital (pictured), but according to the claimant there was a delay in the treatment he needed

After diagnosis, he went to nearby Ontinyent Hospital (pictured), but according to the claimant there was a delay in the treatment he needed

The regional government in the Valencia region was ordered to pay damages after experts to whom the man complained concluded that he had not been treated properly and that he was in constant pain and had problems getting and keeping an erection due to medical mistakes.

His wife will also receive compensation of around £4,200.

The couple are said to have endured a ‘long battle’ before being told they would receive their five-figure compensation following their ordeal.

Jorge Sanchez, a urologist who was not involved in the case, told local media: ‘Four or five hours of priapism can cause damage to the penile tissue and 20 hours later the risk is greater.

‘If the erection persists, the only solution is to break two tubes in the penis, the corpora cavernosa, which fill with blood to make it stiff during an erection.

‘If they rupture, the patient can no longer get an erection and needs a prosthesis.