£20,000 Settlement
In 2015 Penny was trying for a baby with her new partner. However, in an operation to treat an ectopic pregnancy, the surgeon damaged what would have been her remaining fallopian tube, leaving her infertile.
Ectopic Pregnancy
They were delighted when she fell pregnant, however, this was short-lived as it was soon discovered Penny had an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is where the pregnancy develops outside of the womb, most commonly in one of the fallopian tubes (the tubes which take the egg from the ovary to the womb).
An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical situation as the growing pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture and cause internal bleeding. This can be life-threatening to the mother. For this reason, ectopic pregnancies are unlikely to continue past the first few weeks.
Treatment for an Ectopic Pregnancy
Initially, the doctors advised that Penny take a tablet to assist in removing the pregnancy. However, this was not successful, so Penny required surgery to remove the pregnancy.
The type of surgery removes both the pregnancy and the fallopian tube it is situated in. This normally does not cause any fertility issues for the woman as she still has another healthy fallopian tube remaining.
Surgeon Damages Fallopian Tube
In Penny’s case during the surgery, the surgeon damaged her remaining fallopian tube whilst removing the one with the pregnancy. This left Penny with no fallopian tubes and rendered her infertile.
It was likely that Penny would have conceived again if she had a fallopian tube remaining as she had previously become pregnant with no issues.
Penny Claimed Compensation for the Surgeon’s Failure
The surgeon admitted responsibility for the damage caused to Penny’s remaining fallopian tube. Penny and her partner were offered IVF treatment on the NHS, free of charge. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful but Penny and her partner funded their own IVF treatment and this resulted in a successful pregnancy for the couple.
Penny received compensation from the hospital trust as well as an apology.
Penny brought her case to Pryers as she was aware that Pryers specialise in gynaecology claims. Detailed and thorough investigations were carried out and a settlement of £20,000 was secured for Penny to compensate her for the psychological trauma and cost of private IVF treatment.
