Decision Report 201906930

Summary

C complained about the treatment which they received at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. C had undergone a total right hip joint replacement but post operatively reported problems with right foot drop and loss of sensation in the right foot and leg. C was put on medication and referred to physiotherapy but still remained in pain with loss of sensation. C felt that something must have gone wrong during the surgery.

We took independent advice from a consultant orthopaedic surgeon (a specialist in the treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system). We found that there was no indication from the clinical records that complications had been encountered during C’s surgery in that the surgery was completed within normal timescales and that blood loss was within expected levels. It was possible that the sciatic nerve (nerve in the lower back area) could have been inadvertently damaged during the surgical procedure but there was no documentation to support such a view.

While we did not uphold the complaint, we noted concerns about the standard of the record-keeping regarding the brevity of the actual operation notes and whether sufficient discussions about C’s high body mass index (BMI, a measure for estimating human body fat) level, which would increase risks of any surgery, were discussed with them prior to surgery. The concerns were highlighted as feedback to the hospital who have already amended their procedures in an effort to improve learning.