Professional negligence after botched chest reconstruction
A woman has received compensation after a botched breast reconstruction surgery left her disfigured and in pain.
The 53-year-old woman from Barnsley was undergoing a mastectomy of the right breast a month after she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Immediately after the operation, the woman underwent reconstructive surgery by Dr Puvaneswary Markandoo, a consultant breast surgeon.
However, the woman claimed that the hospital had made a number of errors which left her suffering severe pains.
She stated that she agreed for an implant which was to be placed under the muscle on her chest, yet the surgeon placed it directly under her skin.
She ended up suffering from an infection after the delayed removal of the implant.
The woman was required to visit the hospital on numerous occasions and has received three additional operations as a result.
After filing a compensation claim for the professional negligence of the surgeon, the woman received an undisclosed amount of compensation.
She said: "No amount of compensation will ever make up for the last few years, when I have felt my life was put on hold to accommodate the failings of a surgeon I put my trust in.
"However, I feel that this, in some small way, acts as recognition and an apology from the hospital for the way they let me down.
"I am looking forward to moving on with my life and finally putting this ordeal behind me."
The lawyer who represented her said: "This has been an extremely distressing and exhausting process for [the woman], who has been forced to deal with numerous, avoidable operations on top of the diagnosis of cancer at a time when she should have been moving on with her life.
"She has expressed great relief that they have taken responsibility for their failings."
Updated on 12/08/2009