Surgical Items Left Inside Patient - Surgical Negligence

Surgical Items Left Inside Patient’s Body

The requirement to perform everything perfectly during any surgical procedure is obviously paramount.

Meticulous cleanliness is essential, as is the use of the correct tools for the appropriate tasks. In order for anyone to be involved in surgery they will have to have gone through a great deal of training; whether that is for the surgeon carrying out the delicate operation, the anaesthetist providing the appropriate dose of the right drugs, or the nurse passing tools and medications to them. It may then come as a surprise that in the past four years alone, over 1,200 patients in England have been victims of negligence when doctors leave surgical equipment inside their body after the operation has been completed.

Needles, swabs, sponges and even scissors have been left inside patients after surgery, and in some cases they were neither noticed nor removed for up to 13 years. While many of those who have been affected by this kind of negligence have lived to tell the tale, many have unfortunately not been so lucky.

A 56-year-old man from Bedfordshire had what he considered to be a successful operation to treat prostate cancer. He was told by doctors that the operation should rid him of the cancer and that he should be able to enjoy many happy years ahead. He had no idea that the surgeons had accidentally left an 8 cm piece of surgical gauze within his pelvis. Over time the gauze led to the development of angiosarcoma; a soft tissue cancer which ultimately led to his death. His case is on-going, but his family are likely to receive a large compensation award when it is settled.

While the NHS refers to these type of accidents as ‘Never Events’ there are a high number that occur each year in hospitals throughout the UK. One way to prevent such issues occurring involve using a surgical checklist so that all items used during the operation are accounted for both before and after the operation has taken place.

No matter what might be left behind during surgery, if harm is caused to the patient as a result then compensation will generally be awarded. If you or someone you care for has suffered as a result of negligent surgery of any kind, particularly if any piece of surgical equipment or associated items have been left inside the body, you should contact us and let us help you get the compensation pay-out you and your family deserve.

There is no charge for contacting us or obtaining our advice and you are under no obligation whatsoever to continue with a case unless you choose to do so.

Claims of this nature must be brought forward within three years of the event, so don’t delay, contact us today.

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.