"I’ve Lost Hope”: Isle Of Wight Woman Left “Immobile” After Hernia Mesh Surgery

Two years on from hernia mesh surgery a woman says she has been left “immobile” following an operation the Isle of Wight NHS Trust claims it has “no records” of  - carried out by a surgeon she has “never met”.

EXCLUSIVE:

It comes a month after another patient, Jane, exclusively told Isle of Wight Radio about her “life-changing, devastating consequences” after hernia mesh surgery.  Isle of Wight Radio is still waiting for a comment - with regards to Jane - from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.

Sally’s Story

“Black and blue”

On January 25 2018, Sally, who lives in on the Island, underwent inguinal hernia mesh repair surgery at St Mary’s Hospital, after developing a hernia. She says she immediately went from being “independent, fit, healthy and active” to “immobile” but was told by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust - the mesh was the only option.

Five days after her operation, she says she “couldn’t walk from the house to the car”.

Sally told Isle of Wight Radio:

“She [the district nurse] said there was nothing she could do for me because I needed to see a doctor [at hospital]. She was actually quite horrified at the way I was looking. I was black and blue from my chest to my knees because of the bleeding inside. “She took a photograph of this... a GP phoned… but didn’t come to visit me.”

Sally says her wound did heal, but 10 days after the surgery (February 14 2018), it “started spurting blood very vigorously”.

Sally said:

“I was lying on the floor in the lounge trying to get the phone answered at the medical centre and I had towels - it was bleeding badly through the wound.”

“No records”

Sally was eventually taken to A&E in Newport. However, she was soon told by the hospital that they had “no records of the operation”.

Meanwhile, Sally wrote to the CEO of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust for answers as to why she was “still suffering?” In a letter seen by Isle of Wight Radio, Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Maggie Oldham, apologised “for the confusion” as to which surgeon carried out Sally’s operation.

The letter reads:

“This error caused confusion as to who should complete the discharge summary (information about the treatment received and ongoing care) which should have been sent to your GP.”

Eventually, Sally was referred to the surgical team but did not meet the surgeon who carried out her operation. She says she still hasn’t to this day.  

“I’ve lost hope”

Today, two years on from the operation, Sally has been prescribed further high dosage pain-killers and even anti-depressants. She told Isle of Wight Radio:

“I’ve been left with a lot of pain, huge amounts of immobility, I’m not able to do the things I used to like helping to look after my grandchildren…"

“The only aftercare that I have had from the hospital has come about from what I requested… “I haven’t got my strength back and I’m still struggling..."

“I just find it so sad, if this was happening to my best friend, I would be outraged that someone could be treated like this and not be given support and care.”

Sally added:

“Sadly, these last few months I’ve lost the hope that one day I’ll start to get and feel better..."

“Two years later I’ve resigned myself to the fact it is not going to get any better.” Isle of Wight Radio is still waiting for a comment from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust."