Compensation Awarded For Bladder Injury Caused During Routine Hysterectomy

Shrdha Kapoor

Nelsons represented Ms F in a claim against Royal Derby Hospital (part of University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Foundation Trust) for injuries she sustained following a negligently performed hysterectomy.

Ms F, who was aged 35 at the time of the surgery, suffered from a prolonged history of severe bleeding and anaemia. Due to her debilitating symptoms, she requested a hysterectomy and this was eventually agreed upon by the surgeons involved in her care.

Ms F was scheduled to undergo a full laparotomy (open surgery) and hysterectomy in February 2016 but on the day underwent a laparoscopic (keyhole) hysterectomy instead. She was discharged home the next day without any concerns being noted.

A few days after being discharged, Ms F began to suffer from pain when passing urine and over the days which followed, she began to lose control of her bladder. She was initially treated with antibiotics for a suspected urine infection. Her condition failed to improve and so she was referred back to the hospital to undergo an exploratory procedure in order to rule out any post-surgical complications.

Following examination, Ms F was diagnosed with a large vesicovaginal fistula which is an abnormal connection between the bladder wall and vaginal vault. The fistula was caused by the insertion of stitches that went through both the vaginal and bladder walls, which should not have happened.

After being diagnosed, Ms F was required to undergo further surgery a month later to repair the fistula but unfortunately still suffers from pain and tenderness to date.

Our client’s hysterectomy was a routine and simple procedure which should have been uneventful in nature and without any complications requiring further treatment.

Medical negligence claim

Baishali Clayton, Senior Associate and Solicitor in our expert Medical Negligence team, settled the claim out of Court for a five-figure sum. Baishali was assisted by Shrdha Kapoor, Paralegal.

During investigations into the clinical negligence claim, Ms F received correspondence from the hospital to confirm that University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Foundation Trust, together with NHS England, are collectively conducting an independent external review of the care provided by a former consultant and surgeon in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Royal Derby Hospital. This arises from a number of concerns raised about the care provided in many “major surgical cases” at the hospital. Although unconfirmed by the hospital Trust and NHS England, Mr Daniel Hay has himself confirmed to the Times Newspaper that he is the consultant under investigation. Mr Hay was one of the surgeons present during Ms F’s surgery. For further information on the investigation, you can read our article here.

If you have been affected by this story or suffered similar injuries, please speak in confidence to one of our medical negligence claims experts for assistance and advice on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.

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