Jack* underwent an unnecessary urinary catheterisation after failing to pass urine after a routine knee operation. We helped Jack secure a six-figure sum in compensation. We also helped him to get support for his injuries and effects on his mental health.
What happened to Jack?
Jack had ongoing issues with his knees since he was 17 years old. In 2017, aged 34, Jack saw his GP about the issues he was having with his left knee. He reported his knee was locking. He felt there were loose bodies in his knee and that physiotherapy wasn’t helping.
His GP sent him for an MRI scan that showed some meniscal degeneration with a small Baker’s cysts. Jack was also sent for an X-ray that showed evidence of a loose body in the anterior compartment.
Jack attended the day case unit at the hospital for an arthroscopy of the left knee to remove the loose body. Jack’s consent to undergo the procedure was taken on the day of the procedure. He signed a consent form which records that the procedure was intended to improve symptoms and the risks were “infection, swelling, bleeding, wound problems, and pain.”
After the operation, he was transferred to the recovery room. Four hours after his operation, he told nurses that he’d tried to pass urine but couldn’t although he didn’t have any abdominal pain or symptoms of painful urinary retention.
Jack said he felt like the nursing staff were becoming increasingly impatient with him as they wanted to close the day unit but couldn’t discharge him until he passed urine. A bladder scan was performed, but there’s no record of the bladder volume recorded in his medical records.
The Associate Specialist was told that Jack hadn’t passed urine and came to see him. Jack felt that the Associate Specialist was also becoming increasingly impatient with him as he was still unable to pass urine.
The Associate Specialist said he would have to insert a urinary catheter to help Jack pass urine and allow him to be discharged. They attempted to pass a urinary catheter. At the time of the attempted catheterisation, Jack said he had no symptoms of painful urinary retention.
Jack experienced severe pain and noticed some bleeding during this procedure. After several unsuccessful attempts to pass the catheter, the Associate Specialist asked for help from a nurse. With the assistance of a nurse, the Associate Specialist was able to insert the catheter and drain Jack’s bladder.
How did this affect Jack’s life?
Jack was both physically and mentally scarred by the catheterisation after his routine knee operation. Jack had excruciating pain during the procedure and sustained an iatrogenic injury to his urethra. He developed urethral strictures (scarring and narrowing of the urethra) leading to persistent urinary symptoms including pain on urination and ejaculation, spraying and retrograde ejaculation.
Jack is now required to intermittently self-catheterise, and this caused recurrent urinary tract infections and chronic prostatitis. He has also suffered from frequent episodes of urosepsis, for which he has needed emergency treatment in hospital.
Jack continues to have a poor and intermittent urinary flow with spraying of urine, going to toilet during the night, and painful erections. He’s also developed curvature of the penis.
He has a life-long risk of scar tissue continuing to cause obstruction of the urethra. This has led to a worsening of urinary symptoms, and he’ll need annual assessments of the stricture. In the event of a worsening of flow, Jack will need urethra-cystoscopy, ureterotomy, and dilation under general anaesthetic.
Jack has been embarrassed by his urinary symptoms and sexual dysfunction. This has worsened his pre-existing anxiety and led to him becoming completely socially withdrawn.
The negligence led to Jack’s pre-existing generalised anxiety disorder, social phobia, addictive behaviour, and depression worsening. Jack’s psychiatric prognosis is linked to his physical prognosis, and he remains at a high risk of a deterioration in his mental state.
His quality of life has been significantly affected by his physical and psychological condition. Jack’s been unable to continue working as a landscape gardener, a job he enjoyed and wanted to pursue long-term. He’d got all the qualifications needed and planned to set up his own business, but due to the injuries and subsequent mental health struggles, this is no longer possible.
How did Irwin Mitchell help Jack?
Jack came to our medical negligence team to get answers, claim compensation, and get help accessing the support he needed.
Saydie Farrell, an Associate Solicitor, managed Jack’s claim. She started by getting medical records to assess the care Jack received. Saydie also used independent medical experts, who examined the care Jack received and advised how his injuries would affect his life going forward.
We argued that had Jack been properly advised about the risks and alternatives, he wouldn’t have chosen to have a catheterisation. Instead, he would’ve waited to see if he could pass urine unassisted.
We proved that had more time been allowed after the original operation, Jack would’ve passed urine and not needed the catheterisation.
It was also stated that, had the catheterisation been performed by an appropriately skilled and experienced clinician, Jack wouldn’t have sustained an injury to the urethra.
We took Jack’s claim to the Hospital Trust, but they denied liability throughout. Before the claim went before a Judge, we were able to settle for £650,000.
Jack now has access to the support he needs after working with our Support and Rehabilitation co-ordinators.
We also set up a Personal Injury Trust to make sure that Jack’s benefits are protected for the rest of his life.
On working with Jack, Saydie said: “What happened to Jack was easily avoidable. If he had been given the time to recover from the operation, the catheterisation wouldn’t have been needed. Alternatively, if the catheterisation had been carried out by a competent clinician, Jack wouldn’t have gone through this trauma.
“Now he has the support he needs to try to move forward with his life. Unfortunately, his career prospects have been majorly affected, but hopefully, with this support he can work towards finding new life goals.”
*Real name not used to protect client’s identity.
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