Bowel Surgery Death
If your loved one has died as a result of substandard medical care before, during or after bowel surgery, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
We are a specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers with offices in between Bath and Bristol. We act for clients throughout England and Wales who have been harmed as a result of substandard medical care. This includes the families of people who have wrongfully died after bowel surgery, perhaps due to a delay in diagnosis, a delay in treatment, botched surgery or poor after-care.
Whatever the circumstances, if your spouse or family member has passed away because of negligent medical care, do not hesitate to contact us for expert legal advice. We will say whether you are entitled to take legal action against those responsible.
Elective bowel surgery and emergency bowel surgery
Complications can arise in both planned (elective) and unplanned (emergency) bowel operations. We explore each in turn.
Elective bowel surgery
Elective bowel surgery is when a bowel operation is planned in advance and conducted on a non-emergency basis.
For instance, elective bowel surgery might be needed to treat conditions such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or polyps. It normally involves removing part of the bowel that has been damaged or affected by illness.
Risks of bowel surgery
All surgery has risks and bowel surgery is no different. The risks of bowel surgery include:
- General anaesthetic complications
- Ruptured bowel which bleeds or leaks
- Painful scar tissue
- Surgical site infection
- Nerve damage
- Bowel dysfunction
Bowel surgery deaths
The risks associated with bowel surgery can lead to potentially fatal complications.
A ruptured bowel that leaks faeces or bleeds in the abdominal cavity is especially dangerous. This will lead to an infection of the abdominal wall called peritonitis. While the bowel may be deliberately cut or accidentally nicked during the operation, the surgeon must repair the incision or injury before the close of the procedure. Otherwise the patient will quickly become critically unwell.
Bowel surgery is also commonly associated with surgical site infections. This is because of the large number of bacteria already present in the bowel. The effects of the operation can cause the bacteria to become unbalanced, resulting in an infection. Alternatively bacteria may get in through the surgical incision.
If a post-operative infection is not diagnosed and treated in time, the bacteria can spread to the blood. This is called septicaemia. The patient will subsequently go into septic shock, where the blood pressure falls, making it difficult for blood to reach the vital organs. The organs will begin to shut down, sending a patient into a critical condition.
Emergency bowel surgery
Emergency bowel surgery is when a bowel operation is needed due to an unexpected illness that requires urgent medical attention.
For example, surgery will be needed for life-threatening conditions such as a ruptured bowel or obstruction. It is a common procedure with around 30,000 patients in England and Wales having emergency bowel surgery every year.
Risks of emergency bowel surgery
Emergency bowel surgery has similar risks to those of elective bowel surgery. However, where complications usually arise is the delay in diagnosis and treatment, or substandard aftercare.
Time will be of the essence with regards to emergency bowel surgery and any delays could be devastating. Furthermore, patients will need careful monitoring and support after the procedure, normally in the intensive care ward. Those at risk of developing sepsis should be given antibiotics to prevent an infection.
If the risks of delayed treatment, infection and limited aftercare are not heeded, it could make the patient extremely unwell.
Emergency bowel surgery deaths
The mortality rates of emergency bowel surgery were recently investigated by the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit team. They assessed the treatment of more than 20,000 patients, spanning 192 of 195 eligible NHS hospitals.
The study found that of the 30,000 patients who undergo emergency key-hole bowel surgery each year, one in 10 patients dies within 30 days of the operation. This is a very worrying statistic, made even more so by the study's conclusion that 30-40% of patients in some hospitals did not receive an acceptable standard of care.
Failings were found with regards to diagnosis, timely treatment and aftercare. More specifically, the study stated that:
- 50% of patients were not seen by a consultant surgeon within the recommended 12 hours
- One in six patients did not arrive in theatre within the recommended timeframe
- Some patients at risk of developing sepsis were not given antibiotic medication in time
- Some patients did not have access to critical/intensive care post-operatively
What action can you take?
If your loved one suffered fatal complications after bowel surgery, you will of course be distraught by what has happened. You will also want some answers as to what went wrong and whether it could have been avoided.
Medical practitioners now have a duty of candour, meaning they must tell patients and their families if a mistake has been made, and apologise if necessary. However, it can still be difficult to understand exactly whether or not medical negligence has been at play.
A solicitor can advise you of this, saying if your loved one was subject to medical errors and what different it made to the eventual outcome. If better medical care would have saved their life, you will be able to pursue legal action against those at fault.
Contact a solicitor today
To find out whether you can sue the hospital where your loved one died, please get in touch with us today. We will be able to offer you expert legal advice, clarifying whether or not you can pursue a claim.
We understand just how traumatic this will be for you. However, many say that making a claim has a healing effect as it allows them to take some form of action, rather than doing nothing.
If possible it is best not to delay when seeking legal advice as claims must be made within three years of the incident. If this timeframe is missed, it will not be possible to make a claim.
To talk to a solicitor, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
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