A surgeon mistakenly removed the entire hip joint from a woman who was only supposed to have a small growth removed, a Swedish hospital spokeswoman said.

Galve hospital officials said the 30-year-old woman went in for surgery to remove a small growth of bone close to her hip, but the surgeon took out the entire joint and set it on the operating table before the error was noticed, The Local.se reported Friday.

The surgeon and colleagues attempted to re-attach the joint with metal plates and screws, but the woman developed an infection from the procedure and had to be fit with a prosthesis.

Asa Linnea Davidsson, a spokeswoman for the hospital's orthopedic section, described the error as a "misjudgment regarding the woman's anatomy."

"I deeply regret what has happened. It is a very serious healthcare injury," Davidsson said.

The spokeswoman said the incident was reported to the National Board of Health and Welfare. (c) UPI