horrible laparoscopy experience. #consent form.

[emmalondon]

ladies need some advice please after horrible hospital experience...

in brief.. am being seen by a consultant at a certain hospital. booked me in for laparoscopy & hysteroscopy. turned up for arranged op. when interviewed initially by nurse and asked the standard question ‘do you know what you are here for today?’ i answered ‘yes for my laparoscopy and am also having a hysteroscopy’. to cut a long story short, hysteroscopy was not written down on the consent form which i signed. i was so stressed and nervous i didn’t think twice about this - assuming the hysteroscopy was an additional ‘minor proceedure’ carried out during the more general laparoscopy i was agreeing to - end result: hysteroscopy was not carried out - meaning i still have a untreated uterine polyp which was causing me a great deal of pain & lengthy heavy periods. my consultant did not see me before or after op - was seen by a doctor i’d never met before. when i expressed my shock that the hysteroscopy had not been carried out they suggested it was my fault as i had signed the consent form and advised me to go back to my gp to ask for referral to gyne for said proceedure - even though i have been through that process, seen consultant, discussed and agreed surgery and have letter stating this. i was outraged & couldn’t understand why my consultant could not have read my notes / scans etc before op, or would have decided not to carry out hysteroscopy during the laparoscopy. i refused to take doctors advice of going back to gp and starting process of referral again & demanded they arrange an appointment for me as it was their oversight. which after hours of hanging about with post operative pain & an overnight stay was very traumatic. (arrived at hospital 7.30 am and wasn’t taken to theatre until after 5pm. 10 hours of waiting without water, 19 hours without food & suffering with period. was so exhausted i was unable to walk and had to be wheeled down to theatre.)

it has taken me two years of going back and forth to gps, a&e visits & various appointments at this hospital to get me to the point of surgery. at my intital meeting with consultant i was a bit surprised when they asked me a particular basic question about my previous treatment regarding my endometriosis - which if they had read my medical notes would have known i’d had almost 20 years worth of treatment.

i don’t know really what to expect from posting this, other than to advise everyone to read very carefully the consent form - which i understand was my stupid mistake. i can’t help but feel however it is not the patient’s role to inform surgeons of the details of their scheduled ops and to fight at this level for basic care. I am of course very grateful for the treatment i received during the laparoscopy and hope this may alleviate some of symptoms & pain. i am just so disappointed in this continual fight to be heard and receive appropriate care and treatment.

thank you for reading this!

x

[Hidden]

This sounds like an awful experience Hopefully you’ll have some benefit from your lap and your polyp will be treated soon xxx

[emmalondon in reply to Hidden]

thank you! : )