Woman Left Infertile After Surgeon Removes Wrong Fallopian Tube

Miss Thomas aged 27 was admitted to hospital suffering from an ectopic pregnancy in March last year. Though the pregnancy was in her right tube, the doctor mistakenly removed the left fallopian tube during surgery.

“The next day the doctor came into my room and told me everything was fine” said Miss Thomas. The next week she received a phone call from the same doctor asking her to return to hospital as he had removed the wrong tube. Returning to hospital a scan was undertaken and a heartbeat detected. “I was in shock and upon hearing the heartbeat the doctor passed out”.  Miss Thomas was assigned a different doctor and the next morning taken to theatre and then spent three days recovering in hospital. Since the surgery Miss Thomas has been told that she will not be able to conceive without IVF treatment. She has lost her job and her relationship with her partner has broken down. “I am on antidepressants now and i’ve got to have therapy, this mistake has ruined my life” 

The medical director of the NHS trust which runs the hospital has offered sincere apologies to the patient concerned and admitted that an error was regrettably made and therefore accepted liability.  Miss Thomas’s solicitor said in response “We are happy that the trust has admitted liability early on in the case because it means we can now focus on the support our client needs”