Bladder injury during C-section

A 42-year-old from Essex suffered injury to her bladder, ureter and vagina as a result of a negligently performed Caesarean section.

Jeanette Mercer suffered a bilateral ureteric obstruction and a vesico-vaginal fistula after the Caesarean in 2015.

Jeanette required additional operative treatment and suffered significant symptoms including pelvic pain, urinary urgency, urge incontinence and recurrent and dyspareunia. In addition to suffering the physical injuries she has suffered psychological injury.

Jeanette fell pregnant around November 2014 and the index pregnancy was her fifth pregnancy, the previous four having concluded with delivery via Caesarean section. She underwent an elective Caesarean section at Basildon University Hospital during which she haemorrhaged, and her bladder defect was detected.

The hospital offered no explanation for the haemorrhage, no description of how the bladder was damaged or which part of the bladder, and no detail regarding the hysterectomy.

Jeanette was represented in her compensation claim by Fletchers Medical Negligence Solicitor, Kate Lozynska. Even after issue of the court proceedings, the defendant hospital denied all of the allegations of negligence, inter alia:

• Exposing the bladder base and causing injury to the base of the bladder.
• Failing to remove an adequate amount of uterine tissue when attempting to perform the sub-total hysterectomy. There was an excessive amount of tissue left behind as demonstrated by the subsequent MRI scan in August 2015.
• Failing whether adequately or at all to check the remaining tissue and leaving behind excessive uterine tissue which was non-viable and which subsequently became necrotic.

In the early stages of the litigation, the defendant decided to put forward a monetary offer with no admission of liability. The offer reflected some litigation risk and after negotiations Jeanette was pleased to settle the matter in the total sum of £80,000 and finally close this chapter of her life.