Claiming Compensation for CES Bowel Incontinence
Loss of bowel control can be utterly life-changing. If this appalling condition is due to medical failings, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Why does CES cause bowel incontinence?
Generally, people suffering with cauda equina syndrome first notice that they are developing lower back and leg pain. This is due to the fact that the cauda equina nerves at the base of the spine are, for some reason, starting to become compressed or squashed. This process affects the nerves' ability to function and is likely to continue, causing increasingly debilitating symptoms.
As the compression increases, the patient may notice that their awareness of sensation between the legs starts to alter, perhaps with tingling and numbness. This loss of sensation may spread to affect genital sensation, bladder sensation and feeling across the buttocks and around the anus.
Loss of cauda equina function can also reduce the patient's control of lower body function, meaning that they may become incontinent of urine, wind and faeces.
Medical negligence and bowel incontinence
Whether or not it is appropriate to make a compensation claim for bowel incontinence associated with cauda equina syndrome depends on whether or not medical professionals contributed to the patient's poor outcome.
The timing of surgery is a crucial factor in determining the patient's long-term outcome and this often depends on the speed with which a diagnosis of this appalling condition is made.
If a patient attends their medical practitioner with possible symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, they may require an immediate MRI scan. If that is not considered necessary after the practitioner has carried out a clinical assessment, it is still likely that the patient needs to be warned of the red flag symptoms of cauda equina syndrome. These are the symptoms which should prompt the patient to make an immediate visit to Accident and Emergency.
If the medical professional fails to do either of these things despite the patient's worrying symptoms, it is possible that the patient's condition will deteriorate before a diagnosis is finally achieved and surgery carried out.
If this is the case, it is likely that the patient's long-term outcome will be worse, possibly significantly worse, than had their medical practitioner referred them or warned them of the red flag symptoms.
In these circumstances, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation for the pain, suffering and financial impact on the patient which can be identified as having been due to the negligence of the medical practitioner.
Speak with a solicitor
If you or a loved one are suffering with the horrific long-term problems associated with cauda equina syndrome, such as bowel incontinence, contact us today.
If your poor situation has been caused by a failure by medical professionals, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
We have supported numerous clients in making highly-successful compensation claims and will be very happy to advise you.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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