Suing for medical negligance

Shicky

Shicky

Shicky

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Joined
13 Jan 2007
Posts
2,424
Location
Belfast,Northern Ireland
Hello all, was wondering if anyone has any experience of this or similar?

My dad approached a no win, no fee lawyer on my behalf just through e-mail - apparently cases of this kind aren't of much interest?

Long story short I had to have my appendix removed, initially I went to A&E in extreme discomfort, was sent home only to return hours later and be admitted. From that point on I was told I would receive keyhole surgery, nearly a day and a half later I had the procedure. I woke up to a scar on my side which is beyond hideous, a nice 15 staple job! Recovery lacked fun and my parents said the surgeon seemed awfully nervous though I don't remember this.

This was 18months ago and the road to recovery has been a pretty crappy one. The scar still feels weird and stretching in certain ways can be very dodgy feeling. I had to stop playing rugby for over a year and hits to the area feel...a lot different.

The reason I was given for the huge scar is that my appendix was apparently in the wrong place...over the several hours they examined me before hand, I would love to know what they were feeling and telling me it hasn't ruptured yet!

So does anybody have any experience with this kind of thing or any advice to give?
 
Surely this is just the risk anyone runs of having an operation? It sounds like they went in expecting keyhole surgery but hit complications. At that point they have have to either sew you back up or keep going and resolve the problem. Appendicitis is potentially lethal if it ruptures so they had to keep going.

I would expect that the consent form you signed before the op pointa this out as a risk.

I had my appendix out in 1981 and keyhole surgery wasn't an option. It's a large scar but it was necessary.
 
NHS performs potentially life saving procedure, saves your life but leaves a scar. You're alive aren't you?

It's not the doctors fault you needed your appendix out. How about you don't sue the hospital? Be thankful your alive - maybe make a donation to a local heath charity?

People who sue the NHS for medical negligence should be denied entry to all hospitals full stop!
 
I think it can be done via keyhole surgery, mine wasn't because I was an idiot and didn't think it was appendicitis so I left it for a week. By that time it was it risk from bursting so they took it out, pronto. :D
 
I think your answer is in the reply from the no win no fee people.

Think yourself lucky you have a free National health service and are still alive.

Andi.
 
Omg. You had an operation you has a scar. Deal with it! People like you actually are what's wrong with the whole lawyer system at the mo, wanting to sue people for saving your ass?? Your parents have a lot to answer for

Can I sue you for being a dumbass? Bc it amounts to the same thing
 
Shicky said:
So does anybody have any experience with this kind of thing or any advice to give?
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I work in a Clinical Negligence department.
Basically go to a Solicitor who will send a Pre Action Disclosure to the Trust asking for all Medical Records.
The Solicitors 'Experts' will look at the records and decide if a Letter Of Claim will be issued.
The Trust Solicitors will then get involved and together with the NHSLA decide whether to pay you or go to court.
 
If you were warned they may convert to an open operation, which you almost certainly were, then there is no claim in it. It's a recognised complication of an appendicectomy.

Even if you weren't warned the surgeon can still carry it out without your consent as a life-saving measure to remove a retrocaecal appendix. They can't wake you up and ask nicely if you're potential at risk of sepsis/perforation. There's not a lot of mileage in that for a claim.

To be honest it sounds like you need to man up.
 
I think if you have strong suspicions then you should pursue it in some fashion, I don't know if there are alternatives to suing - maybe you can see a specialist of some kind that you can speak to about it? I'm no doctor so couldn't tell you how unusual having an appendix in the wrong place is so can't comment. It's your life, if it's causing you that much discomfort then my advice is act on it now.
 
Had my appendix removed a few years ago, initially had an infection in it, which was treated with antibiotics, but then had to return to hospital a couple of months later when I was well to remove it.

I had it removed on my private health insurance, and in my initial meeting with the Doctor he told me it was a simple keyhole operation.

On the day of the surgery, when signing the consent form, he told me about the scar... at which point I inquired as to why, as he told me it would be keyhole. He then said that they would try and do it keyhole, but in some cases if there is an issue, they might have to make a normal incision, so I shouldn't be shocked if I wake up with one.

They did do it via keyhole in the end, but to reassure the OP a bit about having an incision scar, it wasn't all it cracked up to be. One of the keyhole incisions was through the edge of my belly button, which I can now feel a rough scar on when I put a finger in it. Also I ended up with a couple of abbesses, which kept me in hospital for weeks. The Doctor reckoned they probably wouldn't have occurred with a regular incision.
 
Kamwah said:
OP is ungrateful.
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If only forum rules permitted me to word something stronger to describe what OP is.

You want to su people who save lives because your appendix is in an unusual place? I understand. It's outrageous that these doctors didn't realise they weren't feeling your appendix until they opened you up.

They should have used their apparently obligatory, magical doctor X-ray vision.

Christ.
 
davethe11 said:
I'm no doctor so couldn't tell you how unusual having an appendix in the wrong place is so can't comment. It's your life, if it's causing you that much discomfort then my advice is act on it now.
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It's quite common, they can be down in the pelvis or behind the caecum and give all kind of odd symptoms. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't warned about having a scar for this very reason.
 
Hades said:
I would expect that the consent form you signed before the op pointa this out as a risk.
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Pretty sure that you sign a form so doctors can take actions that they see necessary. If that was their only choice, would you have rather died?

By suing the NHS, you are essentially suing the taxpayer. £800 million was paid out in compensation last year, imagine what the NHS could do with that money.
 
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