Operation Failed - Advise Needed - Not a medical thread

[snips86x]

When my mother-in-law was in her teens, she had a bike which she managed to fall off and damage her wrist. Ever since, its not been right and getting gradually worse.

About 6-10 months ago, she had a wrist operation to remove some of the bones which were fractured & in bits. The operation seemed to go well.
About a week ago, she had an appointment with a physio who referred her to a hand specialist as the physio wasn’t really working.

The hand specialist examined her wrist and said the wrist shouldn’t look like it did and it was almost unrecognisable. Though feeling the wrist, she was unable to determine what bones had been removed, this is where she said it was unrecognisable. She also mentioned that is didn’t look like it should and most certainly shouldn’t have limited mobility, like she is having.

Since the hand specialist was unable to determine what bones were removed, she's requested from the hospital all the paper work, Xrays and all matter of documents relating.

Forward to yesterday and she’s involved in a car crash, she gets shunted from behind, total of 4 cars involved and a ****ing crack head is the cause at the tail end.

She’s in to A&E last night with the pain where she’s been told its fractured & there is nothing they can do at the moment – return tomorrow if its still painful.

Now, to me it sounds like the operation was either mis-guided or someone made an error.

Would this be grounds to compensation?
If What the specialist said is true, is court an option?

To make matters worse, she has a 14yr old disabled son - this scenario is not looking good for her!!

 

[RetiredGreyFox]

Would this be grounds to compensation?
If What the specialist said is true, is court an option?

Medico-Legal is my profession.

If she thinks she has a case then she goes to a Solicitor and not a 'No Win No Fee Solicitor' and puts her case forward.
Also look for one that specialises is Medical Negligence with a track record.
The Solicitor will send a Pre Action Disclosure to the hospitals Legal Team and it will start the ball rolling.

 

[Destination]

Pre-existing injury, now complicated by surgery and a followup injury.
Was the hand specialist a doctor?

I'd be looking compo faster from the crack head drivers insurance than going back to try and prove an operation didn't work when clearly there was a pre-existing injury.

 

[Luke]

Why is the car crash relevant? Why is the 14 year old son relevant?
Why not wait until the specialist has seen the docs from the hospital?

Just sounds like an 'I want compo' thread, rather than genuine concern.
Sorry if that's not the case, but rather than focussing on what can be done to remedy the situation you are fixating on money.

 

[Ilikeitblackplease]

When my mother-in-law was in her teens, she had a bike which she managed to fall off and damage her wrist. Ever since, its not been right and getting gradually worse.

About 6-10 months ago, she had a wrist operation to remove some of the bones which were fractured & in bits. The operation seemed to go well.
About a week ago, she had an appointment with a physio who referred her to a hand specialist as the physio wasn’t really working.

The hand specialist examined her wrist and said the wrist shouldn’t look like it did and it was almost unrecognisable. Though feeling the wrist, she was unable to determine what bones had been removed, this is where she said it was unrecognisable. She also mentioned that is didn’t look like it should and most certainly shouldn’t have limited mobility, like she is having.

Since the hand specialist was unable to determine what bones were removed, she's requested from the hospital all the paper work, Xrays and all matter of documents relating.

Forward to yesterday and she’s involved in a car crash, she gets shunted from behind, total of 4 cars involved and a ****ing crack head is the cause at the tail end.

She’s in to A&E last night with the pain where she’s been told its fractured & there is nothing they can do at the moment – return tomorrow if its still painful.

Now, to me it sounds like the operation was either mis-guided or someone made an error.

Would this be grounds to compensation?
If What the specialist said is true, is court an option?

To make matters worse, she has a 14yr old disabled son - this scenario is not looking good for her!!

yes, shop around for one.

 

[snips86x]

Medico-Legal is my profession.

If she thinks she has a case then she goes to a Solicitor and not a 'No Win No Fee Solicitor' and puts her case forward.
Also look for one that specialises is Medical Negligence with a track record.
The Solicitor will send a Pre Action Disclosure to the hospitals Legal Team and it will start the ball rolling.

Thanks for this! I'll speak to her when I get home. I think its worth pursuing as even the specialist was not sure what had happened, surely this shouldn't be the case!

Why is the car crash relevant? Why is the 14 year old son relevant?
Why not wait until the specialist has seen the docs from the hospital?

Just sounds like an 'I want compo' thread, rather than genuine concern.
Sorry if that's not the case, but rather than focussing on what can be done to remedy the situation you are fixating on money.

You've got nothing constructive to add to this, please refrain from adding useless posts.

 

[Terrier_Jimlad]

Why is the car crash relevant? Why is the 14 year old son relevant?
Why not wait until the specialist has seen the docs from the hospital?

Just sounds like an 'I want compo' thread, rather than genuine concern.
Sorry if that's not the case, but rather than focussing on what can be done to remedy the situation you are fixating on money.

Pretty much what I thought too.

Who's to say the hand specialist is right? The best way to tell would be if the surgeon requested an x-ray of the hand post operation, at which point you can determine if it was done correctly. Surgery is not 100% guarantee fix, which your mum signed her name against in the consent forms, she would only have grounds for a case if the surgeon did something really really wrong.

Why on earth did you mum leave it so long to get sorted? Great to see your priority is to seek financial compensation through blame of the NHS though, like it doesn't have enough problems already.

 

[Wazz-1]

Sounds to me like they did what they could to help with an old injury, your not happy so want monies please!!
And as above what has the 14 yer old and a crack head got to do with an old injury?

 

[snips86x]

Pretty much what I thought too.

Who's to say the hand specialist is right? The best way to tell would be if the surgeon requested an x-ray of the hand post operation, at which point you can determine if it was done correctly. Surgery is not 100% guarantee fix, which your mum signed her name against in the consent forms, she would only have grounds for a case if the surgeon did something really really wrong.

Why on earth did you mum leave it so long to get sorted? Great to see your priority is to seek financial compensation through blame of the NHS though, like it doesn't have enough problems already.

This is what the hand specialist has requested from the hospital. All matter of xrays and documents relating to the procedure.

I do see your point though, the initial surgeon was supposed to be a specialist and clearly something went wrong somewhere. Clearly something did go wrong as the 2nd specialist said it wasn't recognisable as a wrist!

Its not my mother, but the mother-in-law. The reason it was left so long is due to the 24 hour care for her disable son. Any time taken away from his care isn't an option and the initial diagnosis was 12 months in a case due to the type of operation. I won't go into too much personal detail, but for those thinking of recommending respite, its not possible. They won't take him due to his severe autism.

As for the "money" comments, its not a necessity and the compensation isn't required, but would be useful if she went private!

 

[Minstadave]

Sounds like she had significant injury to her wrist as a teen and it was a mess. If her consent form includes something along the lines of loss of function/deformity then there'll be no case to my mind.

Most reconstructive work isn't perfect but is designed to prolong function and reduce pain for as long as possible. She already had a poorly functioning wrist, now it's poorly functioning and a bit funny looking?

I think the "hand specialist" was very presumptuous to comment without having seen any X-rays. Were they a doctor?

I have to agree with the people who have said this is sadly an "I want compo" thread. What is more important is the health and function of your mother in law and her wrist.

 

[snips86x]

Sounds like she had significant injury to her wrist as a teen and it was a mess. If her consent form includes something along the lines of loss of function/deformity then there'll be no case to my mind.

Most reconstructive work isn't perfect but is designed to prolong function and reduce pain for as long as possible. She already had a poorly functioning wrist, now it's poorly functioning and a bit funny looking?

I think the "hand specialist" was very presumptuous to comment without having seen any X-rays.

Not quite!

The function of the wrist was fine, it just caused her pain every so often. With time it got worse and the operation was arranged. Before the operation, there were no function issues, just the occasional need for pain killers from aching.

Now its function is far less and funny looking. Yes, she may have been presumptuous, but they're called specialists for reason.

 

[Wazz-1]

Not quite!

The function of the wrist was fine, it just caused her pain every so often. With time it got worse and the operation was arranged. Before the operation, there were no function issues, just the occasional need for pain killers from aching.

Now its function is far less and funny looking. Yes, she may have been presumptuous, but they're called specialists for reason.

True but not miracle workers, it wont be long before doctors and surgeons refuse work though fear of litigation!!

 

[Minstadave]

I take it the hand specialist is a doctor not a physiotherapist? Did she see them privately?

Why has she not been back to her original surgeon?

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

@Wazz-1 They do refuse work already due to this sort of thing.

With an injury going as far back as her teens, an operation over half a year ago and now she wants compensation? I would say the way forward is to wait for the wrist specialist to see just what the operation was before even thinking about the compensation route. I realise this is not how some people think these days.

 

[snips86x]

I take it the hand specialist is a doctor not a physiotherapist? Did she see them privately?

Why has she not been back to her original surgeon?

Yes, sorry i wasn't clear.

No, it was on the NHS and I'm not sure why she's not been back. It's not easy for her to find time with her son, so this may be why. I think she will be seeing the surgeon again, but not sure when or for what.

 

[Minstadave]

So although she's unhappy with then outcome of her surgery she never went back to see her surgeon? Sounds pretty daft.

 

[Xordium]

So to cut to the chase from your OP:

She had a pre-existing injury from a very long time ago.
This has worsened with time as expected.
A relatively recent operation was performed that seemed to go ok.
Subsequently physio didn't work although we don't know whether this was already the case pre-op.
The physio referred to a hand specialist.
The hand specialist said the wrist was not-normal - something we already knew - and would not have been able to say anymore than that because she didn't have any specific paperwork.
No contact with the surgical team has been made to date re: concerns.

The rest I am afraid is meaningless and irrelevant to the case at point for the moment. I am sorry to say this but it sounds to me like you don't have a case because quite simply the surgeon should have and will have listed the potential complications in the consent which will have been signed pre-operatively. With a pre-existing condition that was worsening you are going to have a devil of time proving any negligence whatsoever.

That doesn't mean the situation is good and I am genuinely sorry for her because even the most unsympathetic sod should be able to see how tough things are. In that case with a 14 year old son and her difficulties then rather than seeking litigation she will lose she should be seeking social services input which most likely will be totally ineffective but hey ho you can hope you do get someone decent.

 

[Mat]

If you ever manage to get hold of a copy of the x-ray, it would be interesting to see what it looks like now bearing in mind this is what it is supposed to look like:



You remove a few bones and fragments from in there and I'm not really surprised it's no longer recognisable. With that in mind, I'm not sure what the specialist expected really but then I'm no expert.

 

[rubberduck]

I would concentrate on helping your mother in-law get back to see the specialist rather than pursuing any compensation claims.

 

[RetiredGreyFox]

Why on earth did you mum leave it so long to get sorted?

Yesterday I had a Medico-Legal claim land on my desk from 1992.

True but not miracle workers, it wont be long before doctors and surgeons refuse work though fear of litigation!!

They don't pay out of their own pocket but from a pot from the NHSLA which means we pay for it.