A 3rd degree tear must be treated in theatre by an experienced surgeon. The appropriate technique must also be used to ensure success.
If your 3rd degree tear was repaired inadequately, resulting in ongoing complications, you should talk to a solicitor about the care you received. You could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Repairing a 3rd degree tear
A 3rd degree tear will be sutured together with dissolvable stitches. It is important for the treating clinician to identify the full length of the tear as the entire laceration must be stitched. Otherwise a gap will be left in the anal sphincter which can significantly affect function.
There are different techniques that can be employed to repair the tear, including an overlap repair and an end-to-end repair.
Overlap repair and end-to-end repair
An overlap repair may be used if the two ends of the external sphincter are completely torn. If there are two free ends an overlap repair of the full length of the sphincter can be carried out. But if the external anal sphincter is only partially torn then an end-to-end repair should be performed.
It is vital that the surgeon chooses the correct technique according to the situation, or the repair may not be a success. For example, if only the middle one third of the external anal sphincter is torn, any attempt to perform an overlap repair will result in undue tension on the repair. This means it is much more likely to fail.
Substandard repair of 3rd degree tear
If your 3rd degree tear was not repaired properly and you were left with a defect in your sphincter or the wound broke down, please contact us today.
Doctors who treat a 3rd degree tear must provide a reasonable standard of care. ‘Reasonable’ care would mean diagnosing the injury, repairing the full length of the tear and using the most appropriate technique.
As long as this is achieved, medical practitioners have provided a reasonable standard of care. This will give the patient the best chance of making a full recovery, although it is possible to suffer a bad outcome, despite a good standard of care.
However, if a patient suffers a bad outcome because of a poor repair, there may be a case of medical negligence. This would mean the patient is entitled to pursue a claim for compensation.
Speak to a solicitor
To talk to a solicitor about claiming compensation for medical negligence, please get in touch.