Compensation for Late Cauda Equina Syndrome Surgery
If you have had decompression surgery for cauda equina syndrome but you are suffering with a poor long-term outcome, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Timing of surgery
The timing of surgery in cauda equina syndrome is absolutely crucial to the patient's outcome. If surgery is delayed and the patient's symptoms deteriorate, the medical professionals responsible for the delay may be considered to have been negligent.
When someone starts to suffer the dysfunction associated with cauda equina syndrome it is due to a failing of their cauda equina nerves. This is likely to be because the nerves at the base of the spine have become compressed for some reason. Frequently, this is due to a herniated disc causing pressure on the nerves.
The sooner this situation is recognised and the patient undergoes decompression surgery, the better the patient's chances of making a good recovery after their operation. If surgery is delayed, the patient may not recover the function they have lost. This can mean that they are left with the following distressing and debilitating symptoms:
- Bladder incontinence
- Bowel incontinence
- Sexual dysfunction
- Mobility problems
Timely surgery is, therefore, absolutely vital.
Medical negligence
Delayed surgery may be due to a failing by the hospital to organise your operation within the recommended timeframe or a delay in organising your MRI scan prior to surgery.
It is, however, frequently due to the fact that a GP or Accident and Emergency practitioner have failed to recognise the patient's symptoms as indicative of cauda equina syndrome. This means that the patient may not receive a referral for the MRI scan which they desperately need.
If a medical professional considers that a patient's symptoms are not indicative of cauda equina syndrome but that they could develop further, it is important that they advise the patient of the symptoms to look out for such as bilateral leg pain, tingling and loss of sensation in the saddle area or a change in experience when urinating. These are the red flag symptoms of cauda equina syndrome and, if the patient starts to suffer these symptoms, they should attend Accident and Emergency immediately.
If the patient has not been advised of these symptoms, however, they will not understand their significance and the need for action. They will not, therefore, take immediate action. By the time they get to hospital, it may be too late.
Making a claim
If you or a loved one are suffering with long-term cauda equina syndrome symptoms due to a failure by medical professionals to recognise the urgency of your condition, you may wish to make a claim for compensation.
Contact us at Glynns Solicitors to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor. We have supported numerous clients who have suffered from negligence in dealing with their cauda equina syndrome and we will be 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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