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Our experienced solicitors can help you if you’ve suffered following keyhole surgery.
Considered to be minimally invasive, keyhole surgery involves small incisions being made (between 5 and 10 mm long) preventing the need for larger, 30cm cuts that are typical of other surgeries.
Conducted using a laparoscope (a small, fibre-optic video camera that is normally inserted via the stomach), keyhole surgery can be incredibly beneficial, and can allow a healthcare professional to get a detailed view of the patient’s organs, which will be shown on a larger screen that the surgeon will examine throughout the procedure.
Whether used for the purpose of diagnosing a patient, or for an actual surgery, keyhole methods are designed to be both minimally invasive and efficient.
However, when there is avoidable harm caused by healthcare professionals during, prior to, or after this procedure, then the victim could potentially have a claim for compensation.
Nobody should have to suffer due to improper medical care.
For expert advice on claiming compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced from negligent keyhole surgery, contact us today.
At SDS Solicitors, we have been defending our clients, including victims of keyhole surgery negligence, since 1997.
We know how traumatic it can be when you, or someone you love, is affected by keyhole surgery negligence, and we understand that the process of seeking legal advice can cause unwanted further stress.
That’s why we help people from all over England and Wales by making the process simple.
As a Manchester-based specialist medical negligence, accident, and personal injury law firm, we specialise in no win no fee claims. So, if you don’t win, you won’t have to pay.
To learn more about whether you could have a claim, what you could be entitled to and how we can help you during this process, call us for free using the number at the top of this page, or simply fill out our online contact form, and a member of our expert team will get in touch with you.
Keyhole surgery is used to diagnose and treat a range of conditions.
A procedure known as laparoscopy is the most common form of keyhole surgery, used to access the abdomen and female pelvic organs but it is widely used to diagnose and treat conditions related to the digestive system, and conditions affecting the urinary system.
Keyhole surgery may also be necessary to help diagnose condition such as:
There are specific, high standards of care that all surgeons and healthcare practitioners must meet.
While there is a chance of unavoidable complications arising during any medical treatment, when avoidable harm is caused to the patient, then there could be a case made for medical negligence.
Some examples of avoidable complications during keyhole surgery include:
When accidental harm is caused during surgery, for example, in the case of organ perforation, the healthcare team could (and should) try to prevent serious damage being caused by reacting quickly and by taking the appropriate counter measures.
Similarly, when healthcare professionals neglect to call for a specialist to deal with a particular keyhole surgery, and avoidable harm is caused as a result, then this could also be a case of keyhole surgery negligence.
As many older surgeons never received the formal training for keyhole surgeries and laparoscopies, they may not have the correct amount of experience to handle such a surgery. In this instance, they must always call for the help of a specialist.
After an operation, patients should be monitored closely as certain complications may only reveal themselves post-surgery, and patients are typically more vulnerable to infection during this time.
Sometimes, a blood vessel may be ruptured during a keyhole surgery causing a haemorrhage to occur. The symptoms of blood loss may only arise hours after the surgery has taken place. While blood loss after a surgery is considered normal, the healthcare team should still closely monitor a patient to check for signs of abnormal blood loss. Failure to do so could be deemed as keyhole surgery negligence.
Meanwhile, if the doctor prescribes an insufficient amount of antibiotics to a patient following their surgery, then they could also be deemed negligent as this could weaken the patient’s chances of warding off an infection.
As mentioned earlier, keyhole surgery is sometimes used by surgeons to help diagnose a patient. Keyhole surgery gives surgeons a highly effective way to examine a patient’s organs and make a more informed diagnosis.
But when a surgeon carries out keyhole surgery on a patient for this reason and makes an incorrect diagnoses, or fails to diagnose their condition at all (despite evidence of their condition being visible) then any further treatment given to the patient could be incorrect.
This will leave the patient suffering with their actual condition even longer and could delay recovery time or even, in severe cases, be life threatening for the patient.
While keyhole surgery negligence can cause a wide array of negative outcomes, all of which can negatively impact a patient’s life and dramatically alter the quality of their physical and mental wellbeing, some of the more serious complications can even lead to a potential fatality.
It is estimated that serious complications during a laparoscopy will occur in around 1 out of every 1000 laparoscopies.
For example:
An embolism
During keyhole surgery, gas bubbles from carbon dioxide can potentially enter into the bloodstream via arteries or veins.
If left unnoticed, a patient’s blood supply could completely cut off from an area of the body, possibly resulting in amputation further down the line.
Similarly, a blood clot in a vein, or deep vein thrombosis, could arise as a result of improper care, and could case a pulmonary embolism – an embolism in the lungs. This could eventually lead to a lack of oxygen reaching the brain.
Internal damage
During keyhole surgery, surgeons have to act incredibly precisely to prevent unintentional perforation or other complications.
Sometimes during surgery, a surgeon may accidentally cause damage to an artery – perhaps even a major artery.
Damaged arteries can lead to kidney disease, a loss of vision, a stroke, or even a higher chance of dementia in the future.
Similarly, they may also cause damage to one or multiple organs (often the bowel or bladder), which could result in the loss of organ function.
There are many risks associated with keyhole surgery. Some are unavoidable.
However, avoidable harm caused to a patient prior to, during, or after keyhole surgery could be a case of medical negligence. To find out for sure, get in touch with us.
Every patient deserves the best possible care. So, for those who suffer through avoidable harm due to an insufficient diagnosis, or mistakes made during or after surgery by healthcare professionals, there is help available.
If you have suffered due to keyhole surgery negligence, then you could have a valid claim for compensation.
To find out if you do have a claim, it is imperative that you get in touch with a solicitor that understands the impact of keyhole surgery negligence and has experience in dealing with such cases.
At SDS Solicitors, we have a wealth of expertise at our disposal and can give you the best legal advice around your potential claim.
If you get in touch with us and we believe that you do have a claim, we’ll be able to give you an initial estimate of the settlement value within a range based on current guidelines, and our experience.
Many factors are taken into account when valuing a claim. The amount of pain and suffering incurred, the severity of any injuries, the length of recovery time and the mental toll suffered will all be considered when determining how much money you deserve to be compensated.
Seeking compensation or legal advice can be a daunting process, especially for those already suffering the consequences of keyhole surgery negligence. But you don’t have to go through it alone.
When you get in touch with us, you will receive clear counsel as to whether you could have a claim and we will be by your side every step of the way.
There are certain circumstances where a victim of possible medical negligence is unable to begin the process of trying to appeal for compensation themselves. This can be due to a variety of reasons, but typically occurs when the patient has died as a result of said negligence, or when they are otherwise incapable of seeking legal advice alone.
If this is the case, then a parent, close relative, spouse or loved one could be able to act on behalf of the victim and try to make a claim.
If there is a claim, then this third party could be able to assume the role of the “litigation friend”, allowing them to act in the best interests of the victim and make decisions regarding the court case.
However, it must be noted that if the victim becomes able to act on their own behalf during the case, then the litigation friend could be formally asked to end their role.
If you think that you or a loved one could be a victim of medical negligence, and you would like to receive expert legal advice on whether you could be entitled to compensation, simply get in touch.
At SDS, we have over 20 years of experience of helping our clients to pursue medical negligence claims. We fight hard to ensure that where a patient has suffered unnecessarily due to medical negligence, they receive the support and recompense that they need to live with what has happened.
If you feel that your keyhole surgery was negligent and you would like some advice, get in touch. One of our friendly team will listen to the details of what happened to you, and if we believe that you may have grounds to make a claim, we will support and guide you through the process from start to finish.
Contact us
Established in Manchester in 1997, we are a leading specialist medical negligence, accident at work and personal injury law firm acting for claimants nationwide.
Our expert medical negligence solicitors regularly act for clients across Greater Manchester including Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Radcliffe, Prestwich, Middleton, Failsworth, Rochdale, Oldham and Whitefield.
Our team of recognised Keyhole Surgery Negligence Claims Solicitors can support your needs wherever you live in Wales, England & Northern Ireland.
Call us for free now using the number at the top of the page or complete the online contact form and a member of our team will get back to you.
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