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Failed Knee Surgery

The operation to repair Alun's torn knee ligament was of a poor standard, meaning the tear remained in situ. Afterwards his concerns were repeatedly dismissed, and it was only when he sought private healthcare seven years later that the mistake was uncovered.

In October 2006, Alun was involved in a motor-cycling accident. He went to his local A&E department where, despite the lack of any imaging tests, he was diagnosed with a sprained knee. His leg was put in a splint, he was given crutches and discharged home.

Subsequently the father of two young boys had to take time off work as he was unable to bend his knee joint properly. Even showering and dressing was difficult, and he could not help his wife care for their children.

Alun attended two further follow-up appointments, and an MRI scan was finally carried out in December. The scan showed that he did not have a sprain – in fact, there was a full thickness tear of the ligament. He was advised that he would need an arthroscopy and reconstruction ACL.

This operation was performed in the spring of 2007. Alun was released from hospital the next day and was advised to take pain killers and have physiotherapy.

Over the next six years, Alun was seen repeatedly in the outpatient clinic. He kept telling his consultant that his knee did not feel stable. It felt like it could give way at any moment, making him reticent to continue with his sporting hobbies.

He became very depressed over this time as his life had become very restricted. He could not exercise and could only manage light duties at work. However, both the consultant and the specialist registrar dismissed Alun's concerns. They said his knee was improving and that he should resume his normal sporting activities.

Alun therefore carried on as best he could, but in early 2013 he fell at an awkward angle. His knee locked up so he returned to hospital again and had his right leg placed in a velcro splint.

He subsequently received a letter from the trauma clinic requesting he attend to have his left knee reviewed. This was the wrong knee. The mistake made Alun lose all confidence in the clinic, so decided to seek private treatment.

He was reviewed on a private basis and an MRI scan was ordered. This showed that the original operation had not been performed correctly, because the full length of the tear had not been repaired. He required another surgical procedure to replace part of the ligament and rectify the first operation.

When the revision surgery was carried out Alun needed further time off work, but thankfully went on to make a good recovery. He made a complaint against the hospital in question, which acknowledged that the original operation had been “substandard”.

We helped Alun make a claim against the hospital. He was awarded in excess of £20,000 compensation.

(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)

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