The man suffered a knee injury when he was playing rugby and was tackled awkwardly.  He was taken to Rotherham District Hospital immediately following the injury and was told he had snapped his patella ligament.

Operation and physiotherapy after knee surgery

The man was admitted to hospital and had an operation to repair the injury.  The operation appeared to go well and he remained in hospital for just over a week.   He was then discharged wearing a brembo brace – a full leg brace designed to limit movement in the knee.  The man was referred to physiotherapy to increase movement in his knee.

After around 4 months, the man was discharged from the orthopaedic clinic, but pointed out to the consultant a stitch that appeared to be hanging from the incision line.  The consultant said it would dissolve in due course but asked a nurse to pull the stitch out anyway.  The nurse used a scalpel and tweezers to pull it out, but the man found it very painful and asked her to stop.  She left it in place and said it would heal.

Further surgery following infection due to negligent knee surgery

Over the next 6 – 7 months the man’s knee became more and more painful, stiff and swollen.  The stitch protruded from the wound and the scar had turned deep purple.

Despite assurances from the consultant, nurse and physiotherapist that it would heal, around a year after the injury, the man’s knee was so painful that he went to see his GP who prescribed antibiotics.  About a month later the man’s GP referred him to back to the orthopaedic clinic at Rotherham General Hospital where he was told that the wound appeared infected and needed a debridement.  That took place under general anaesthetic a month later.  The new wound took a long time to heal and had to be packed by a nurse.  Not surprisingly the man was very worried that the new wound would become infected again and was fearful of losing his leg!  The new wound did eventually heal after about 9 weeks and the man was able to go back to work.

Continued pain and suffering

Unfortunately the man has since suffered repeated infection, pain and swelling since the second operation – around 18 months after the initial operation – and has been treated with antibiotics.

As a result of the operation and infection, the man has had to take a lot of time off work and has suffered financially as well as physically and psychologically.  His life has been changed by the events and he is no longer able to do many of the things he used to enjoy.  He has lost a lot of confidence.

Nikki negotiates settlement with hospital trust

The man contacted Graysons to see if we could help to find redress for the suffering he had experienced and Nikki took up the case.  She pursued the hospital trust for negligence but it was strongly denied.  Nikki had to issue court proceedings and the trust filed a defence.  However, following negotiations, and a lower offer from the trust, Nikki was able to secure a settlement of £30,000 in compensation for the man without going to court.

How can Graysons help?

We understand that any surgery can be traumatic enough, even when nothing goes wrong.  When there are added complications, such as infection, and you feel that you have not received the level of treatment or care that you deserve, we may be able to help you with a medical negligence compensation claim.

Contact our experts now and we will arrange a free of charge appointment in which we can discuss your case.

You can find out more about surgery claims on our web site.