M R Law has successfully recovered substantial damages upon behalf of a man who suffered severe complications following an operation at a local private hospital to remove his gallbladder.

The man was suffering from gallstones and he was advised to have his gallbladder removed. He was booked in to a private hospital utilising his health insurance. The surgeon removed the gallbladder as planned; however, following the surgery the patient suffered internal bleeding. The surgeon tried to stem the bleeding but the man’s condition continued to deteriorate.

With the patient’s health causing serious ongoing concern he was taken by ambulance to the nearby NHS Hospital whereupon he underwent emergency life saving surgery to identify the source of the internal bleeding. It then became clear the original surgeon had inadvertently damaged the patient’s bowel and his body was going into septic shock.

Following the life saving surgery the man’s condition remained of considerable concern for a lengthy period before he made a reasonable recovery, albeit with serious ongoing consequences for his general health.

The consequences for our client of the errors made by the surgeon were severe. The surgeon made a couple of errors that should have been avoided ~Robert Barker

Robert Barker, head of the Medical Negligence team at M R Law who dealt with the case comments:

“Every operation carries at least some risk. Whilst the removal of the gall bladder should have been a relatively straightforward operation compared to some procedures, the consequences for our client of the errors made by the surgeon were severe. On this occasion, the surgeon made a couple of errors that should have been avoided.

Our client’s life was only then saved due to the considerable skill and expertise of the surgeons at the local NHS hospital in identifying and finally stopping the internal bleeding.

Sadly, when operations go wrong at private hospitals the NHS is often left to deal with the consequences and expense of the emergency care. Most private hospitals are not equipped to handle such care. It is an added expense to the NHS it can do without.

On this occasion, the insurers representing the original surgeon accepted the errors should not have been made and we are delighted to have been able to resolve the claim satisfactorily for our client.”

If you have suffered complications arising from an operation, please contact our specialist medical negligence team to speak directly to a qualified and experienced lawyer.