Amputation from Lower Limb Ischaemia
If your leg or foot has been amputated because doctors failed to treat lower limb ischaemia, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Please contact us today to find out more.
Failure to treat lower limb ischaemia
If the blood supply to the leg is obstructed, the limb will become deficient in blood and oxygen. This is called lower limb ischaemia. The condition can come on very suddenly (acute lower limb ischaemia) or more gradually (called chronic lower limb ischaemia).
Both acute and chronic lower limb ischaemia must be treated or serious complications could ensue.
Acute lower limb ischaemia is a medical emergency meaning treatment must be provided immediately. A failure to do so will cause the muscle and nerves to break down and die. This will happen in around six to eight hours of the onset of symptoms. Within around 24 hours, the damage will be so severe that the muscle and nerves have become necrotic, after which they cannot be saved. At this point, the necrotic area will need to be surgically removed. If a toe, foot or entire leg has become necrotic, it will need to be amputated.
Chronic lower limb ischaemia is not a medical emergency in the same sense that lower limb ischaemia is. Nevertheless, it must be treated promptly or critical ischaemia will develop. This is when the skin is destroyed to such an extent that an ulcer arises, which may very well be permanent. If critical ischaemia persist for weeks or months, the damage to the skin and muscle may be so severe that an amputation becomes necessary.
If medical professionals fail to diagnose lower limb ischaemia, delaying treatment, the standard of care will be deemed unacceptable. If this delay in diagnosis and treatment results in an amputation which could have been avoided with timely treatment, there will be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
Claiming compensation for an amputation
If you, or your loved one, has undergone an amputation because of lower limb ischaemia, please get in touch with us today. If we suspect your amputation occurred because of substandard medical care, we will pursue a claim on your behalf, obtaining the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Medical negligence claims must be made within three years of the incident, so it is best not to defer when seeking legal assistance. Otherwise the time frame may lapse, meaning you are unable to make claim.
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