A man who remained with an erection for 30 hours has been awarded £41,000 after accusing a Spanish hospital of malpractice.
The unnamed 36-year-old man 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 occur after sexual arousal but also without it and, in the worst case, means that blood cannot leave the penis.
After the diagnosis, he went to the nearby Ontinyent Hospital but, according to the complainant, there was a delay in the treatment he needed.
The man made a second visit to hospital with his distraught wife 20 hours after his problems began, but was said to have been told he would have to wait to see a urologist for a “preferred appointment”.
After complaining, he was referred to another hospital where he ended up admitted with fever that in some cases can accompany priapism along with other signs of infection.
Doctors ended up draining the blood from his penis and he returned to the hospital a few days later for an operation in which he was fitted with a malleable penile prosthesis.
But it created a new problem when it came out because it was ‘badly placed’ and the patient required a second operation.
Man who remained with an erection for 30 hours was awarded £41,000 after accusing a Spanish hospital of malpractice (File Image)

After the diagnosis he went to the nearby Ontinyent Hospital (in the photo), but according to the plaintiff there was a delay in the treatment he needed
The regional government covering the Valencia area was ordered to pay compensation after experts the man complained to ruled he did not receive proper treatment and was left with constant pain and problems getting and maintaining an erection due to negligence medical.
His wife will also receive compensation of around £4,200.
The couple are said to have endured a “long battle” before they were told they would receive their five-figure compensation after their ordeal.
Jorge Sánchez, a urologist who was not involved in the case, told local media: “Four or five hours of priapism can cause damage to penile tissue and 20 hours later the risk is greater.”
‘If the erection continues, the only solution is to break two tubes in the penis called corpora cavernosa that fill with blood to make it hard during the erection.
‘If they break, the patient will no longer be able to have an erection and will need a prosthesis.