Bowel Surgery Negligence Compensation
Surgical procedures to resolve or investigate bowel disorders are fairly common and, for the most part, successful and safe. Occasionally, however, an error can occur which can change the patient's life forever. Where this is due to medical negligence, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Bowel surgery
People attend hospital for bowel surgery for a range of illnesses and conditions including the following:
- Cancer of the bowel, often referred to as colorectal cancer or cancer of the colon
- Diverticulitis, a disorder where pouches in the lining of the bowel become inflamed
- An inflammatory bowel disorder such as crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- An investigative procedure such as a colonoscopy which assesses the condition of the bowel
Damage during bowel surgery
As with all surgery, there are risks involved. Not just the risks associated with a general anaesthetic or the possibility of a surgical site infection but the possibility that an act of negligence may occur, causing injury to the patient's body and possibly threatening their life.
Negligence during the course of bowel surgery can take a variety of forms:
- The lining of the bowel may be accidentally ruptured or perforated, thereby compromising the health of the abdomen. If bacteria in the form of faecal matter escapes from the bowel into the abdominal cavity, an infection can develop such as peritonitis which can quickly become life-threatening. Peritonitis can trigger sepsis which is a medical emergency. As the body's immune system responds to the infection of the peritoneum, the major organs may fail. If the patient survives, they may suffer long-term disabling symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness, anxiety and loss of sight.
- The function of the bowel may be compromised by accidental damage or a structure adjacent to the bowel may be injured in some way. If the patient loses their bowel function, they may require additional surgery to create a colostomy to divert bowel function via a stoma. This may be on a temporary or permanent basis.
- An item of surgical equipment may be left inside the patient's body following the surgical procedure. This is referred to as a 'retained foreign object' and is regarded as a 'never event'. Such an occurrence can compromise the functioning of the organs around the bowel or the bowel itself, causing the patient pain, distress and requiring additional surgery to try to resolve the problem.
The impact of bowel surgery negligence
In addition to the obvious physical problems which will be experienced by a patient whose bowel surgery has led to unexpected damage and dysfunction, the patient is likely to have to undergo further surgical procedures which may, in themselves, compromise the patient's long-term well-being.
The patient is also likely to suffer some degree of emotional or psychological distress or trauma, caused by the shock of their experience, the impact of an extended stay in hospital and the difficulty in coming to terms with how their life has changed.
The financial implications can be considerable also, especially if the patient is unable to work or is restricted in their employment by the effects of the negligence.
A successful compensation claim can help to deal with all these problems.
Medical negligence
Accidents do occur during surgery which are not always considered to be negligent. If any injury or damage is identified and resolved at the time, the patient may make a good recovery with little impact from the damage.
However, some circumstances may be regarded as negligent and may justify a claim for compensation.
- If the patient suffers significant on-going problems due to a negligent injury where the medical professional's approach or methods have led to the damage
- Where the damage remains undiagnosed and the patient suffers significant long-term problems due to the delay in identifying that an unexpected injury has occurred
Legal advice
If you or a loved one are suffering the long-term effects of medical negligence during bowel surgery, contact Glynns Solicitors to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
It might be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
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