A man whose ureter was injured during robotic-assisted surgery to remove his prostate was awarded £160,000 in compensation.
His ureter was unknowingly damaged during the procedure, leading to sepsis and E.coli. He required further surgeries over the next 12 months to fix the damaged ureter.
He sought the help of specialist solicitor, Miriam Bi of Medical Solicitors, to bring a medical negligence claim against the defendant NHS trust for the substandard surgery.
Case summary
In December 2017, the claimant ‘C’, a 66-year-old man, had a tumour removed from his prostate. This was found to be cancerous and C then had his prostate removed the following May.
The surgery was done with robotic assistance. A catheter was fitted and he was discharged the following day. After the catheter was removed two weeks later, C developed E.coli and was prescribed antibiotics. He was also suffering from incontinence.
A week later, C’s GP made a home visit as C was constipated and had not been to the toilet for three days. The following day he stopped passing urine and had a fever, so was admitted to hospital. An ultrasound scan showed an empty bladder.
C then had a Nephrostogram, a special x-ray on the ureter, to check how well the kidneys are draining the bladder. This showed a significant leak in the lower third of C’s ureter that required stenting. A ureteroscopy showed that the left ureter had been damaged, probably during lymph node removal during the prostatectomy.
Before the stent was fitted, C was admitted to hospital with suspected sepsis and acute kidney injury.
In November 2018, C underwent a robotic re-implantation of a ureter but whilst recovering, he suffered multiple small clear fluid filled blisters to his right arm caused whilst trying to connect a drip to C’s cannula. The following month, the stent was removed.
Litigation
C alleged that the robotic-assisted surgery was performed below a reasonable standard. He also alleged that he underwent unnecessary investigations and procedures as a result. Liability was denied.
The claim settled for £160,000 in October 2023 a few months before trial. This included £40,000 general damages for his pain and suffering throughout the 12-month period.
