C-section Bowel Injury

C-section Bowel Injury Solicitors

Having a baby is a major life event. We all hope everything goes well and both mother and baby are happy and healthy following the birth.

Every birth is different and some babies are born by c-section. These may be planned or as the result of an emergency, and injuries to the mother can happen during the procedure.

A recognised risk of c-section is bladder or bowel perforation. This means a hole or opening through which bladder or bowel contents may leak into the surrounding area of the abdominal cavity. The leak of bladder contents is not typically as serious as the leak of bowel contents, because the bowel contains the faeces, 50% of which compromise of dangerous E. Coli bacteria and is more likely to lead to severe infection called sepsis. Both types of perforation need to be identified quickly and repaired.

The perforation itself is rarely a basis for a clinical negligence claim because it is a recognised risk of the surgery. Unfortunately, a perforation is not always identified during the surgery, and the mother’s abdomen is closed without a repair being done. Over the days that follow an infection develops to the point that the mother becomes obviously unwell.

Symptoms

Sometimes mothers voice concerns about their own health prior to discharge only to be dismissed. They may experience symptoms such as:

• Sudden stomach pain that gets worse when touched or you move
• A very high temperature (you feel hot and shivery)
• Rapid heart beat
• Not being able to pee or are peeing much less than normal
• Lack of appetite and feeling or being sick
• Swollen stomach

Bowel perforation can lead to peritonitis which is an infection of the inner lining of the stomach. If left untreated it can become life-threatening.

Treatment

In most cases surgery is necessary to identify and close the hole, and to wash out the area in order to treat the condition. In some cases, other tissues might be identified as having been damaged by the infection and must be cut away or resected. If a section of the large intestine or colon has to be resected, the surgeon will perform a colostomy which will typically be temporary and be reversed at a later stage. In severe circumstances the colostomy may need to be permanent which is, of course, life altering for a new mother.

Making a claim

We understand that poor care can lead to devastating, life changing injuries and it’s at this point that patients should consider legal action. If you have sustained an injury resulting from delayed diagnosis or treatment of bowel perforation, please call us on 0113 284 5745 or email clinneg@isonharrison.co.uk.  A member of our team will listen to your story and deal with your enquiry in a sensitive matter.