Delayed MRI Leads to Poor Cauda Equina Syndrome Outcome
When Daniel was diagnosed with a slipped disc, his surgeon advised him that he required an operation to repair the problem. However, there were significant risks associated with Daniel's proposed surgery due to his weight, and he decided to delay the operation until he was lighter.
Over the months, as the disc pressed on his sciatic nerve, Daniel experienced severe pain which he tried to control with medication while he lost weight for his operation. His GP warned Daniel about a condition called cauda equina syndrome and told him to look out for the red flag symptoms of this condition – numbness in the legs, buttocks and 'saddle' area, and problems urinating.
Unfortunately, before Daniel was able to undergo the operation, he realised one day that he was unable to feel his anus or penis, was struggling with walking and was having difficulty urinating. He spoke to his GP on the 'phone that day and was advised to attend A&E immediately.
At A&E that evening, a doctor carried out an anal examination and performed a bladder scan but Daniel felt the hospital was not seriously considering the possibility of cauda equina syndrome. Daniel was advised that he would need an MRI scan but that a suitable scanner was not available at that hospital. In the meantime, the doctor decided to monitor Daniel's urinary symptoms and Daniel was placed in an overflow bed overnight.
Over the next two days, no progress was made in diagnosing Daniel's condition as the hospital was trying to track down an alternative medical establishment with a suitable scanner. Daniel attempted to inform them that he knew where such a scanner was but he was not listened to.
At the same time, Daniel contacted his private surgeon who agreed to perform surgery at another hospital as soon as the MRI scan results were assessed.
Daniel finally had an MRI scan at an MRI centre over 60 hours after first arriving at A&E.
It was not until the evening of the following day, after further delays in the analysis of the MRI scan, that Daniel was transferred to the hospital where his private surgeon had arranged for him to be operated on. By this time, it was too late for surgery and Daniel had to wait until the following morning.
Daniel's operation finally took place approximately four and a half days after he had first arrived at A&E. After the operation, he remained unable to control his bladder or bowel and still had paralysis in his left foot. He needed to remain in hospital for a further 24 days after the operation.
Over the months following the operation, Daniel gradually regained some control of his bowel and bladder functions, although he continued to experience numbness around the anus and saddle area and erectile dysfunction.
He has also continued to experience some paralysis of the feet and legs and associated pain.
Daniel contacted Glynns and we supported him to make a claim for his poor outcome due to the delay in arrranging an MRI scan, leading to a delay in surgery. Daniel was awarded over £40,000 in compensation.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
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