During the birth of her first child, Cerys required an episiotomy. However, blunt scissors were used and the cut was made straight downwards (rather than diagonally). This negligence contributed towards her sustaining a third degree tear, which medical professionals then failed to repair properly.
Cerys went into labour early in the morning but had the labour was extremely slow. According to NICE guidelines, if a labour is failing to progress, an emergency C-section should be carried out, but Cerys’s labour was mismanaged.
Eventually Cerys was taken to theatre and put in the lithotomy position. An episiotomy was performed and, after three pulls with the forceps, a healthy baby delivered. Afterwards Cerys felt extremely unwell and was losing a lot of blood. She was told by the doctor that she had sustained a third degree tear and needed to be stitched. This was carried out in theatre, after which she was sent back to the ward to recover.
After remaining in hospital for another day, Cerys was discharged. She was prescribed antibiotics and stool softeners. However, the hospital forgot to give her the stool softeners, making it incredibly painful for Cerys to pass a motion. She also found it impossible to fully empty her bladder because her pelvic floor muscles had been so badly damaged. She was later referred to a physiotherapist and this problem resolved within six months.
Unfortunately, Cerys’s bowel complaints continued. She developed faecal urgency and had to rush to a toilet whenever she needed to pass a bowel movement. She was also suffering from a lot of wind which she could not control. Because of these issues, she was referred to a specialist for rectal physiology. It was then discovered that there was a defect at the top of her sphincter, and this was causing her symptoms.
Wanting to understand how this injury had occurred, Cerys asked to see her medical records. Only then did it become apparent that blunt scissors had been used to perform the episiotomy. Additionally, the doctor had made a midline episiotomy, whereby the cut is made straight downwards. This is against NICE recommendations, as it is known to increase the risk of a third degree tear. Instead the cut should be made diagonally – known as a medio-lateral episiotomy.
The negligent episiotomy contributed to the development of a third degree tear. After further investigations by us, it was also revealed that the doctor had not properly repaired Cerys’s tear, which is why she still had a defective sphincter. All these instances of substandard medical care have had a terrible impact on her life, and she regularly experiences nightmares about the birth.
Cerys continues to suffer faecal urgency and everything she does must be planned around toilet access.
We helped Cerys make a claim for the repeated failings shown by the hospital. She was awarded over £100,000 compensation.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
If you, or your family member, has suffered a birth injury tear, please call us now for free, no obligation advice on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile click to call 01275 334030) or complete our Free Online Enquiry.
