Avoidable Amputations - Surgical Negligence

Avoidable Amputations

Some amputations are life-saving and therefore unavoidable. Take for example a soldier who is injured by a landmine or an IED; removing the remnants of the damaged limb can be the difference between life and death. Sadly there are a large number of amputations carried out each year that could have been avoided had suitable medical intervention happened sooner, or if a different course of action had been taken by the medical team.

Every day there are around 20 leg, foot or toe amputations carried out due to diabetes, yet only one in five of these operations is unavoidable. In some of these cases the responsibility lies with the sufferer; perhaps they failed to heed advice from their doctor about lifestyle issues such as diet, smoking etc, but in other cases if the medical team responsible for their care had acted in a more urgent manner while the wounds that can become infected are still treatable, an amputation could be avoided entirely

People with diabetes have a personal responsibility to look after their own well-being, but in addition to that they should be given suitable information and guidance so that they can maintain their own health as well as possible. By implementing suitable care strategies issues can be addressed swiftly so that complications do not have a chance to arise. It is when infections take hold that often it is too late to save the affected limb, but if the infection had been properly treated within a timely manner the outcome could in most cases have been significantly more positive.

Take for example a 61-year-old diabetic man who developed a foot ulcer in 2009. He was seen twice by nurses at his GP surgery, yet they failed to comply with guidelines that stated that he should have been urgently referred to a diabetic foot clinic. As a result his ulcer became infected and during a subsequent visit to his local A&E department he was subjected to a below-knee amputation which could have been avoided had suitable treatment been provided initially. He received nearly £300,000 in compensation.

While diabetes is a factor in a large number of amputations, there is a wide range of other issues that can lead to limbs or digits requiring removal to reduce the risk to the body in general. In many cases these result from undiagnosed or misdiagnosed conditions. One example of this is a gentleman who had his right foot amputated after doctors failed to diagnose his cancer during his twelve visits to hospital. He eventually received £600,000 in compensation.

In some cases amputation can be life-saving, but if it is carried out as a result of delayed or missed diagnoses, or any kind of incompetence or negligence, it can be devastating and have a severe effect on the quality of life of the amputee, and their family. In addition to the physical difficulties, the psychological damage can be immense.

If you or someone you care for has undergone an amputation that could have been avoided, you could well be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Contact us today to see how we can help you get the pay-out you and your family deserve.

To learn more, simply call our experienced Medical Negligence claim team FREE, 24/7 on 0800 999 1374.

If you prefer, you can also start a claim online or request a FREE call back from our specialist Medical Negligence team.