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A hysterectomy on its own is a life-changing surgery. But if mistakes are made before, during or after your procedure, it can have consequences you didn’t expect and cause much distress.
Nobody deserves the turmoil of a mishandled hysterectomy. If you or a loved one has suffered, our hysterectomy claim solicitors can fight for your right to justice. With over 30 years of specialist expertise and millions won in compensation, we are the team you can trust to help you find closure and secure your future.
Do you have a hysterectomy claim?
A hysterectomy is a major surgery that removes a patient’s womb. While thousands are safely performed each year, mistakes can happen – from damage to nearby organs and excessive scarring, to misdiagnosis leading to an unnecessary hysterectomy.
If you sustained injuries or financial losses due to a negligent procedure, you may be entitled to make a hysterectomy claim. With the right legal advice in your corner, we can help you find answers to what happened, secure compensation for your short and long-term suffering, and get justice for you and your family.
The specialist hysterectomy claims solicitors for Essex & East Anglia
Our hysterectomy claims solicitors have helped women harmed by mismanaged or redundant surgeries receive the compensation and answers they are due since 1993.
We know how personal these cases may be, so we work to understand your priorities and make your claim as stress-free as possible. From thoroughly investigating all evidence to negotiating a fair settlement, we handle every aspect of your claim. Plus, we work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, meaning you pay nothing at any stage of our process.
What does our hysterectomy claims process look like?
A free initial consultation
Call us, request a callback or complete our online form and we’ll assess if you have a valid medical negligence claim.
Funding your claim
Discover the ways we can fund your claim without you paying a penny at any stage of the process.
Investigating evidence
We gather medical records, witness statements and more to learn what happened to you and prove your claim.
Instructing independent medical experts
We work with impartial, experienced medical experts to establish whether your injuries were due to substandard medical care.
Valuing your claim
We assess your health and financial losses to accurately estimate how much compensation your claim is worth.
Presenting your case
We contact the Defendants and the Courts on your behalf to set out your allegations and receive a response.
Negotiating a settlement
We work to achieve a fair settlement for you outside the courtroom – this is how 96% of our cases end.
Preparing for Trial
If we must proceed to Trial, we fully prepare you for what to expect so you receive the right result in court.
What you need to know about hysterectomy claims
What is a hysterectomy?
Hysterectomy surgery is a specific type of gynaecological surgery that involves the removal of the uterus. These procedures treat issues that affect the reproductive system, such as heavy periods, long-term pain and ovarian cancer. Approximately 55,000 hysterectomy operations take place in the UK each year.
As hysterectomies remove the uterus, these procedures will prevent the possibility of patients having children in future. Furthermore, if their ovaries are removed as part of the procedure, this can lead to early and sudden menopause depending on the patient’s age.
Due to these consequences, a hysterectomy should only be considered once other treatments have been explored.
There are several different types of hysterectomy:
- A total hysterectomy involves the removal of the uterus and cervix and is the most common type of operation
- A subtotal hysterectomy leaves the cervix in place while the uterus is surgically removed
- A radical hysterectomy removes the uterus and the surrounding structures, including part of the vagina, fallopian tubes, ovaries, lymph glands and fatty tissue
What can go wrong during a hysterectomy?
In most cases, hysterectomies are performed responsibly and have the desired outcome. Unfortunately, mistakes can and do happen. Although rare, the damage caused can lead patients to endure avoidable injuries, pain and distress in both the short and long term.
For example, in a previous case our client, Mrs J, became very unwell following a hysterectomy due to a staple or suture that had been put across the right ureter.
Mrs J needed a nephrostomy inserted to drain urine directly from her kidney, and she developed several urinary tract infections, causing her to experience chills, fever, headaches and urinary urgency.
Other common hysterectomy complications include:
- Development of urinary tract infections
- Damage to nerves and blood vessels
- Injury to the bowel or bladder
- Punctures to the uterine lining
- Failure to protect crucial structures
- Clamping the wrong vessel
If these occur during your treatment, you may be entitled to make a hysterectomy claim.
Can you claim if your hysterectomy was performed unnecessarily?
Yes, it is possible to make a hysterectomy claim if it is later discovered that your hysterectomy was performed unnecessarily.
Because hysterectomies result in the loss of fertility, gynaecologists should consider any alternative treatments that could resolve their patient’s problem. However, in some cases, gynaecologists have recommended a hysterectomy without exploring alternatives or properly informing patients of the ramifications.
In cases like this, an individual may undergo an unnecessary hysterectomy and needlessly lose their ability to bear children. The physical and psychological impact of this can form the basis of a negligence claim.
How can I prove my injuries were due to hysterectomy negligence?
Whether a medical professional fails to protect certain structures or clamps the wrong area, numerous errors can occur during laparoscopic, abdominal or vaginal surgery. Some mistakes will not have grounds for a medical negligence claim, as they may have been impossible to prevent.
To determine whether a mistake is deemed clinically negligent, it is important to understand whether the actions or inactions of a gynaecologist were unreasonable given the circumstances of a procedure.
As expert surgical negligence solicitors, we work with impartial healthcare professionals to determine if your treatment fell below an appropriate standard of care. We also assess medical records, witness statements and further evidence to establish whether clinical negligence was to blame for the outcome of your hysterectomy.
If you are unsure whether you have a valid hysterectomy claim, get in touch with our team. Our claims solicitors can investigate your case and guide you through the next steps.
What are the consequences of negligent hysterectomy surgery?
If surgical errors during a hysterectomy are not caught and rectified, follow-up procedures are almost always required. Depending on their severity, permanence and location, hysterectomy complications can result in a variety of short and long-term repercussions:
- The pain and discomfort of a urinary tract infection could limit an individual’s ability to complete daily tasks at home or work
- Accidental injury to the bowel or bladder may lead to a level of incontinence, which can cause embarrassment and reduce someone’s desire to socialise
- A punctured uterine lining could cause heavy bleeding and require an individual to stay longer in hospital, resulting in loss of earnings
- Damage to femoral nerves during an operation could affect a person’s mobility
If a healthcare professional fails to inform a patient of the repercussions of a hysterectomy or fails to explore less invasive treatments, their hysterectomy may not have been wanted nor needed.
This can be devastating, especially for someone looking to start or expand their family. Knowing that the loss of their fertility was avoidable can have a tremendous toll on an individual’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, and cause rifts to form with family and friends.
How can my hysterectomy claim compensation help me?
The scope of outcomes following hysterectomy complications is vast, and the compensation awarded can vary.
A surgical mistake could result in a longer stay in hospital, some level of incontinence or the need for further procedures. Meanwhile, an operation where the consent process broke down could leave a patient needlessly infertile for the rest of their life.
While claiming compensation cannot turn back the clock, the financial assistance awarded following a successful hysterectomy compensation claim can help support you in everyday life.
Providing support for any loss of earnings, future treatments or the cost of ongoing equipment and therapies, a settlement aims to make life following a hysterectomy as straightforward and secure as possible.
Contact our expert hysterectomy claims solicitors
If you or a loved one suffered due to a negligent hysterectomy and would like to speak to someone about your options, our team is here to listen and advise you on your next steps.
Lexcel accredited medical negligence claims solicitors
We are proud to be a Lexcel-accredited practice. The accreditation is a mark of quality and comes directly from the Law Society.
A recent assessment described us as a “Centre of Excellence” and we continue to operate to the highest standards across all main areas of our field. These include client care, case management, financial management, structure and strategy, people management, risk management, information management and file management.
Industry Recognised