Compensation for Negligent Bladder Damage & Dysfunction
The bladder plays a crucial role in removing urine from the body. A functioning bladder allows an individual to monitor and control the build-up and removal of urine. A damaged bladder can cause discomfort, dysfunction and possibly the need for a catheter to be fitted. It can also justify a claim for compensation.
Bladder dysfunction
Damage to the bladder can cause a variety of increasingly distressing and debilitating symptoms which can impact significantly on the individual's quality of life.
Damage to the bladder can result in a range of problems including the following:
- Urinary tract infections
- Urgency when needing to urinate
- Inability to sense the need to urinate
- Difficulty initiating or completing urination
- Loss of ability to control the function of the bladder, leading to incontinence
Loss of bladder control can inevitably impact on a person's self-confidence, their capacity to work and their income.
Negligent bladder dysfunction
Negligent damage to the bladder can occur in a number of ways. This may due to physical damage cased directly to the bladder during the course of a surgical procedure. It may also, however, be due to a loss of the nerve function which controls the bladder.
Physical damage to the bladder
The bladder is located low in the abdomen close to the uterus. It is, consequently, vulnerable to damage during gynaecological or abdominal surgery.
For example, a woman undergoing a caesarean section for the birth of her baby is vulnerable to bladder damage. The need to access the womb, perhaps in an emergency, requires that the surrounding organs are clearly identified and moved out of the way. An error at this point may result in bladder damage.
A woman undergoing a hysterectomy is also vulnerable to bladder damage during the course of the procedure for the same reasons.
A negligent cystoscopy, used to explore and examine the condition of the bladder, can also occasionally cause the bladder to be damaged, reducing or destroying its function.
Nerve damage and bladder function
Sensation in the bladder and control of the bladder are both dependent on the effective functioning of an individual's nervous system. The nerves in the spine pass messages between the bladder and brain, enabling an individual to sense when they need to urinate and allow them to choose and control the moment when urination occurs.
If the functioning of the nerves becomes compromised, those sensory and movement functions can be lost and the individual can become incontinent.
One example of this is cauda equina syndrome where compression of the nerves at the base of the spine can lead to complete loss of nerve function and control of the bladder.
A failure to diagnose this condition promptly and ensure that the patient gets access to life-changing surgery can be regarded as negligent.
Medical negligence
Any damage caused to the bladder during a surgical procedure should be identified and rectified at the time in order to cause the minimum of long-term effects.
If a patient is left with long-term and debilitating effects due to negligent bladder dysfunction, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Contact Glynns Solicitors to talk to a medical negligence specialist if you or a loved one are suffering the impact of negligent bladder damage.
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