A former soldier is suing a hospital after he went in for a kidney operation and ended up having his penis amputated.

Devastated Costica Maroleanu, 55, had gone to the County Hospital in the town of Buzau in eastern Romania suffering from kidney failure.

He said: “After the operation they told me there were some complications.

“Apparently the nurse had not properly fitted a small plastic pipe to help me urinate, and my penis became red and infected.

“I was moved to intensive care and four days later was moved to the nephrology department where they took a sample, but then they just left me there for 10 days.

“Eventually they did an operation, but then doctor went on holiday.”

Mr Maroleanu was then transferred to a military hospital where doctors concluded his penis was necrotic and the only option was amputation.

A spokesman for the hospital said: “The foreskin was stripped away completely and most of the cells in the organ were dead.

“The member was black and the only remaining skin was at the base of the shaft and highly infectious.

“It was recommended to remove the necrotic elements, meaning amputation.”

Mr Maroleanu said: “It was totally cut off. Now I urinate through an orifice that doctors made between my anus and my testicles.

“I urinate just like a woman. I’m devastated.”

Now the ex-squaddie is suing the first hospital he visited for malpractice and wants 500,000 Euros (£362,450) compensation.

He said: “If they hadn’t botched things up at the beginning this wouldn’t have happened.”