A pensioner who suffered pain and impaired mobility following an injury caused by surgery to rectify a faulty hip replacement has been awarded clinical negligence compensation.
The woman, who is nearly 80 years old, was suffering growing pain and couldn’t move her right knee. An x-ray showed that her hip had signs of serious deterioration from wear and tear and she was referred to an orthopaedic specialist and put on a course of physiotherapy. But this failed to improve her condition so it was decided that a full hip replacement should be undertaken.
On the day after the surgery had taken place, the patient was suffering increasing pain and distress and a further x-ray was taken. It showed that a part of the implant had become dislodged, so a second operation was conducted a couple of days later to rectify the problem.
However, the woman continued to suffer considerable pain and later complained of having no feeling in her foot. A splint was applied but it was only after further examination that medical staff found the sciatic nerve had been damaged during the second operation. It was unlikely that the elderly lady would fully recover from the injury.
A subsequent investigation revealed that numerous clinical negligence errors had been made in the woman’s care. In the first operation, the replacement hip had been fitted incorrectly so it wasn’t fitted firmly enough to stop the joint moving out of place. Following the initial operation it was also discovered that medical staff had interpreted the x-rays incorrectly therefore failing to recognise that the hip wasn’t correctly aligned. The lady therefore had to undergo a second operation and this led to a further error, causing a permanent injury to the sciatic nerve.
If you or your loved one has suffered as a result of clinical negligence and you’d like to discuss your legal options we can help. Give us a call on 0800 122 3036 or contact us online here. You can also visit our dedicated website www.medicalnegligence-solicitors.com for more information.