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Long-term Symptoms After an Undiagnosed Perineal Tear

Long-term Symptoms After an Undiagnosed Perineal Tear

If you are continuing to suffer severe bowel problems some time after the birth of your baby, you may have an undiagnosed severe tear. It may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.

Perineal birth tears

Some women experience bowel problems, such as urgency when needing the toilet, after having given birth through the vagina. For most women these symptoms should improve over time.

If a woman has suffered a severe tear during childbirth, however, her symptoms may not improve unless she has undergone effective surgery to repair the damage to her perineum and anal muscles.

A woman who has suffered a severe but undiagnosed birth tear can experience a range of symptoms which could become permanent without the appropriate medical care.

Symptoms of severe birth tears include the following:

  • Extreme urgency when needing the toilet
  • Loss of control when passing wind
  • Loss of control when passing faeces
  • Infections in the perineum

Claiming compensation

If you suffered a severe third or fourth degree tear which was not correctly diagnosed after the birth of your baby, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

If your severe tear, a 3rd or 4th degree tear, was diagnosed but the repair was of a poor quality and you are continuing to suffer the shocking symptoms of bowel dysfunction, you may be able to claim compensation.

If you are suffering the effects of an unrepaired 3rd or 4th degree tear, your symptoms may well be having a significant effect on your quality of life, your ability to work and your personal relationships and your self-confidence.

Diagnosis and repair

Women who have given birth through the vagina need to be examined very carefully after the birth. This should include checking the condition of their anal sphincter muscles to make sure that they have not been damaged. This means that the woman should undergo a digital rectal examination where a medical professional inserts a gloved finger into the anus.

If a severe tear has occurred but is not noticed by medical professionals, it will not be repaired.

If the new mother continues to suffer symptoms long after she has given birth, it may be possible to get compensation for the impact of the negligence, such as loss of employment.

Speak to a solicitor

Glynns Solicitors is a legal practice specialising in medical negligence claims, with extensive expertise in compensation relating to undiagnosed birth tears.

Contact us if you or a loved one are struggling with the appalling long-term impact of a 3rd or 4th degree tear which has not received the appropriate medical care.

Contact us today to speak to one of our team.

Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.

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