Call For Surgical Training Review After Errors Lead To Man Needing 6 Inches Of Bowel Removed
18/04/2011
Leading medical negligence solicitors at Irwin Mitchell have called for a review into surgical training after a medical error led to a man needing six inches of his bowel removed.
James Keiller, 64, from Westhoughton near Manchester, now suffers from severe pain that makes everyday tasks difficult for him, following complications during a hernia operation in May 2007.
Mr Keiller was advised to undertake keyhole surgery on a suspected hernia at Greater Manchester Surgical Centre and he was discharged after an unscheduled overnight stay, despite being in considerable pain and not being reviewed by a Doctor.
After arriving home, an ambulance was called for Mr Keiller by his GP and he was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital. There, he was told that he had an infection and a bowel obstruction, and that he could die within hours if emergency surgery was not performed.
Mr Keiller now suffers from severe mobility impairments and he finds everyday tasks such as DIY and gardening hard to carry out. He is also unable to properly care for his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, blindness, and was wholly reliant upon his help prior to the surgery. His waist is also four to five inches bigger than it used to be due to the swelling caused by the infection and removal of the ‘omentum’.
Prior to Mr Keiller’s ordeal, his wife had undergone an open repair surgery to correct a hernia problem, making an excellent recovery. However, Mr Keiller was strongly advised to undergo less invasive keyhole surgery, which he was told would reduce the chance of infection after the injury.
But following major complications with the original surgery, six inches of Mr Keiller’s bowel had to be removed due to the level of infection. After the second operation, he was then informed by his consultant that the initial hernia surgery was an inappropriate procedure for his condition. The correct surgery should have been an open repair, which, according to the consultant, carries significantly less risk than its less invasive alternative.
Medical law experts at Irwin Mitchell representing Mr Keiller are now calling for Greater Manchester Surgical Centre to ensure that staff training procedures are thoroughly reviewed to make sure that the correct surgery is carried out in future, to prevent others suffering similar complications.
Maria Repanos, a medical law specialist at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Mr Keiller’s injuries would have been avoided had the correct surgery been advised in the first place. Mr Keiller was not clearly advised of the risks surrounding the procedure he underwent. The original procedure left him in significant pain, but despite this he was then discharged.
“Unfortunately now he has been left suffering through no fault of his own. It is imperative that the NHS learns lessons from his case by improving the training procedures to ensure that others don’t experience the same problems faced by Mr Keiller.
“Irwin Mitchell has assisted Mr Keiller in his battle for the support he needs - not only to continue an independent life of his own, but also to look after his wife in the future. He also wants reassurance that others will not have to go through the kind of ordeal that he has”.
Mr Keiller said: “I went into the first operation expecting to be fine as I was told this was a less intrusive surgery. I was then sent home even though I was adamant that something wasn’t right and luckily my GP called an ambulance and staff in Bolton spotted the infection.
“When I was told I only had a few hours to undergo emergency surgery I was more than a little concerned. All I could think of was my wife and what might happen to her. She is to some extent independent but does rely on my support to help care for her.”
Irwin Mitchell negotiated an out of court settlement with Greater Manchester Surgical Centre to cover his ongoing costs associated with medical treatment, to compensate him for his pain and suffering and to assist with the help his wife now requires, as he is unable to perform everyday household jobs and errands.
Back to news