Appendix Burst After Missed Diagnosis
Did your appendix burst because doctors failed to diagnose you with appendicitis? If so you could be legally entitled to pursue a claim against those at fault. For more information, please get in touch with us today.
What happens if appendicitis is not diagnosed?
Appendicitis is when the appendix, a small pouch connected to the large intestine, becomes infected and inflamed. This will be very painful and the problem rarely gets better of its own accord, meaning surgery is almost always necessary.
The operation will remove the appendix, something which is not an issue because human beings no longer need their appendix. Surgery is a matter of urgency, as the appendix will become more and more inflamed without medical intervention.
If the appendix swells too much, it will actually burst or rupture. This is not a good outcome as the infection will spill out into the abdominal cavity. This will infect the lining of the abdomen, called the peritoneum.
The patient will subsequently become very ill with peritonitis. He/she will then need open surgery to remove the appendix and wash-out the abdomen, whereas keyhole surgery would have been possible if treatment was provided earlier. The scarring with therefore be much worse.
The patient may also be extremely unwell and, if so, will need to be cared for in the Intensive Care Unit. The recovery process can take a long time and can be complicated further by infection. Even when the patient is discharged, it may be that their scar remains very painful, or adhesions may develop in the abdomen.
There can also be body confidence issues regarding the scar, which often runs across the tummy. Surgery may be arranged at a later date to improve the aesthetic appearance of the wound, meaning the patient needs at least one more operation.
My appendicitis was not diagnosed
If you suffered the complications described above because your appendicitis was not diagnosed, you could be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation.
This is because had medical practitioners realised that you had appendicitis, you would have been taken to theatre at an earlier stage, meaning your appendix would not have burst. Consequently you would not have experienced all the complications associated with a ruptured appendix.
Get in touch
To find out if you are eligible to pursue a claim for a burst appendix, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
Call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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