LAPAROSCOPY - KEYHOLE SURGERY - UK CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE

Keyhole surgery procedure, known technically as laparoscopy, has been used with increasing regularity in recent years. With increasing use of this technique has come a dramatic increase in the number of serious problems arising from mistakes and accidents and a consequential rise in the number of UK clinical negligence claims. Unfortunately there have been a number of fatalities as a result of negligent laparoscopy and this is one medical issue that must be taken very seriously indeed.

The conceptions surrounding laparoscopy are largely positive; that pain will be decreased and recovery time will be significantly improved. What is not commonly understood is that keyhole surgery requires a “blind” entry into the body which is in itself potentially dangerous. It only takes one error of judgement on the part of the surgeon to cause very serious or fatal consequences for the patient.

As a procedure, keyhole surgery is essentially several incisions into the body cavity that allow enough space for a fibre optic camera and cable to enter the body. This enables a surgeon to view inside the body in ways that would in the past have required major surgery. With the aid of this camera, surgical instruments inserted through another incision can be guided precisely. The danger with the procedure is not particularly high once the camera is inside the body. The irrefutable fact about laparoscopy is that the initial insertion of the camera and cable is done blind. If the body is less than typical or if there is unusual anatomy then the risk of injury is increased.

If a surgeon fails to follow the well established methods for making this entry into the body then he is liable to pay compensation for any damage that follows. Such alternative methods which deviate from established protocols increase the risk of accidents and mistakes being made.

Some common surgical errors include operating on the wrong side of the body, which has the doubly damaging result of both destroying healthy body tissues and not dealing with the original problem on the other side. Using the wrong procedure or deciding not to take all of the necessary precautions can cause further unnecessary surgery in order to rectify mistakes. It is also surprisingly common for surgeons to leave surgical equipment behind in the body. These can include swabs, sponges and instruments. Several hundred patients experience this problem every year and start UK clinical negligence claims for the damage and suffering caused.

We deal with laparoscopy clinical negligence frequently and our network is setup to handle the complicated nature of keyhole surgery errors. We have the medical expert witnesses, forensic experts and specialist solicitors required to make a success of your case. Most of the claims we represent are the result of damage to the bladder, blood vessels or bowel although no part of the thorax or abdomen is immune to injury through this technique.

If you have suffered personal injury and you fear you may have been the victim of incompetence there is no time for delay. In order to know what options you have you should seek expert legal advice as soon as possible. Our solicitors operate a free service whereby you can meet us in person or chat over the telephone with one of our friendly experts and obtain initial advice. If you subsequently decide to proceed no further then that is your right and you will not be charged for our initial advice.