M R Law has successfully recovered substantial damages on behalf of a woman who suffered severe complications following an operation at a local hospital to remove her gallbladder.

After suffering with gallstones, the woman had undergone laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery to remove her gallbladder following which she was discharged from hospital with an assurance she would not have long-term complications.

Sadly, she continued to suffer increasing pain to the right side of her body and over 6 months after her operation she re-attended the hospital. She underwent further tests before it was diagnosed that the surgeon who performed the gallbladder removal had also accidentally clipped a duct leading to her liver having identified it incorrectly.

“The surgeon clipped a duct he should have avoided and the consequences for our client were severe,” explains Robert Barker, head of the Medical Negligence team at M R Law who dealt with the case.

The surgeon clipped a duct he should have avoided and the consequences for our client were severe. ~Robert Barker

The client suffered an increasing pain and discomfort and was eventually required to undergo further surgery to repair the damage, although there is still a possibility she would suffer complications in the future.

“Surgical techniques are always advancing, including the use of keyhole surgery. It is usually a far less invasive option than open surgery, with speedier recovery times for the patient,” comments Barker. “There are always risks associated with any surgical procedure. If unsure about the patient’s anatomy, there is always an option of converting to an open procedure, which the surgeon failed to do on this occasion.”

With the cooperation of the hospital representatives, M R Law clinical negligence team was able to resolve the claim satisfactorily for our client and recover substantial damages.