Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5 Location: toronto, ontario canada
Unnecessary Hysterectomy Posted: 02-25-04 18:29pm
Hi everyone, i'm new here and i'm happy to
have found you. I guess i'll start by
telling you about my story.
in 1999 I had seen a doctor who gave me a
laparoscopy in order to find out why I was
having so much pain. He told me I had
endometriosis. He then sent me to see
another doctor, because even though he
said the best way to get rid of the
disease was by having a full hysterectomy,
he wouldn't operate because of my age.
The other doctor agreed to operate, and I
had already tied my tubes, so I decided to
go ahead with the operation. Needless to
say I went into what they call surgical
menopause, or female castration as some
call it. I was around 31 years old at
the time.
Well...A couple of months ago, my family
doctor left his practice, so I was given
my medical files in order to find a new
doctor. While going over some of the
documents, I noticed something quite
alarming.
I found the "operative notes", which
states that my ovaries had multiple small
cysts but “no clinical evidence of
endometriosis” and yet she still went
forward with the hysterectomy...Without my
approval. Please know that she knew
there was no disease before she went ahead
with removing my organs. And on top of
all that, to this day, i've never even
been told about the cysts, even moreso,
that I didn't have endometriosis!!!
So now, i'm considering taking legal
action,and I need to get as much advice
that I can get. I don't have much money
since i'm on disability and a single mom
of three girls.
Any advice would be extremely appreciated.
Sorry about writing so much, I just want
to make everything clear in order to get
the help I need.
Thanx so much, victoria
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Marisa
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 4
Posted: 02-26-04 04:25am
Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
From my understanding, if you signed a
consent form for hysterectomy, you had
consented to the hysterectomy regardless
of the clinical situation, unless you
specified that you only wanted it
performed if there was certain pathology.
Then the only grounds you have is that you
were misinformed about what you had.
I'm a bit confused though - did the doctor
who performed a laparoscopy write that you
did not have endometriosis, or was it the
doctor who performed the hysterectomy who
wrote you didn't?
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victoria36
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5 Location: toronto, ontario canada
Hi Again Posted: 02-26-04 14:39pm
hi
there...One doctor did a laparoscopy on me
and his "assumption" (his words not mine)
was that of endometriosis. He told me
the best way to get rid of it would be a
full hysterectomy. However, he also said
that he'd never give one to someone of my
age so he then sent me to another
doctor.
The 2nd doctor did not double check for
herself to be sure I had endometriosis,
she just agreed to give me the operation.
Yes, I did agree to the full hysterectomy,
but only under the grounds that it would
end the endometriosis. In the operative
notes I have, it clearly states that this
doctor knew before she removed my female
organs, that I had no disease - only small
ovarian cysts. Every doctor i've spoken
to recently (since I found out) have all
told me that she should have just taken
off the cysts and closed me back up.
Ovarian cysts are very common, and having
a hysterectomy is usually only an option
if the cysts are cancerous, and even then
the operation is the very last option.
Thanx, take care, victoria :d
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victoria36
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5 Location: toronto, ontario canada
Me Again. Posted: 03-04-04 13:44pm
Hi, well today I was accepted by a very
good lawyer, and the doctor who did this
to me is going to definitely be sued.
This is a lawyer who only does medical
malpractice, and i've heard alot of good
things about him, so I feel happy about
that.
just wanted to let you know ok? Take
care,victoria
Hi victoria,
you wouldn't believe tha t the one lady
that placed an add in the paper about this
doctor that did my operation and ruined
her life uses the name victoria. Pretty
neat that you replyed. I believe that a
docotor should do their own investgation
as to your condition. I never heard of an
operation especially a hysterectomy being
performed because a patient asked them to.
You should inform your insurance company
.Thats fraud ,charging for an unneccessary
surgery. Sounds like you had a quack like
us. My doctor charged me for the extra
surgery and my husband refused to pay and
he dropped all charges. My husband told
him that that was part of the surgery to
begin with. We didn't screw up he did. I
was to pay 600.00 out of pocket so it
probly was 1500.00. Little extra pocket
change for the weekend trip for the
doctor. Well I wish you the best of luck
with the lawyer. We are to late it has
been 3 years plus. I only wish I had met
these ladies earlier. I thought I was the
only one out there and was scared to boot.
I just wanted to get fixed up. Little
did I know this is going to be a life long
deal .What a shame we have to live like
this the rest of our lives.
Take care good luck
whitney
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victoria36
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5 Location: toronto, ontario canada
Hey Again, Posted: 03-04-04 22:59pm
Hi again, actually, it was another doctor
who 1st diagnosed me with
endometriosis,and he said the best way to
get rid of it was a complete hysterectomy,
which I said okay to since my tubes were
tied anyway. He wouldn't operate because
I was only 31 at the time.
He sent me to another doctor, who didn't
double check or anything, but went ahead
with the operation,
but the problem is that (and I have the
operation notes as proof), she seen when
she cut me open that there was no
endometriosis, what I actually had was
just a few small cysts...But she went
ahead with the operation anyway. Now, we
all know that a hysterectomy is not
usually given for simple cysts!
And, she's never, to this day, told me
that I never had endometriosis after
all!!!
She performed a major operation on me that
she should have never done.
I agreed to the operation only on the
basis that I had that disease!
If it weren't for me seeing my medical
files 2 months ago, i'd have never known,
because she sure wasn't telling anyone the
truth.
I even called her and she admitted all of
it!!!
The operation happened in 1999 when I was
31 yrs old, but because I just became
aware of the truth 2 months ago, I am
still able to sue, as the statute of
limitations in canada, is that a person
has 1 year to file suit after they become
aware of what actually happened.
Thank god I seen my files, or she would
have gotten away with it. Well not
anymore!
I wish you all the best and hope
everything works out for you, you seem
like a great person, victoria
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Katylia
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Kentucky
Not Needed Hysterectomy Posted: 03-06-04 00:59am
Hello there! Well, i'd love to here the
outcome of your lawsuit. In fall of 2000
I had a vaginal hysterectomy due to my
gynocologists' telling me at age 40 that I
needed a total hysterectomy due to cancer
of the uterus. Well this doctor had
performed a d and c shortly before the
surgery to try to remove any cysts that he
thought was there and when he got the
pathologist report back from the d and c
it showed cancer cells, so we went ahead
with the suggested procedure. During
this surgery I had problems and woke up
with pain in left ear, throat and tongue.
I was released from hospital 2 days
later, with the docs telling me there were
no cancer cells found in specimen of all
tissue removed. But now I have developed
glossopharyngeal neuralgia either due to
the way I was lying during surgery or
possibly that I had stroke during
hysterectomy. Don't ever have vaginal
hysterectomy, especially by male doctor.
This doctor didn't seem to care that #1 I
had this strange pain when I woke from
surgery or#2 that all us women do have
important nerves in the vaginal area.
his response to my
complaint about that issue was just too
embarrassing and degrading to all women!
I will be having brain surgery to
decompress the glosso nerve at base of
brain. :p so good for you, I know you
only have so long to take legal action, I
think. But on behalf of the many of us
who don't need to have hysterectomies,
especially someone your age, I wish you
luck and would love to here your outcome!
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WHITNEY
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 4 Location: TecumsehMI
Posted: 03-06-04 11:06am
i'am so sorry to
hear of what happened to you during your
surgery. I can't understand why he
could't talk about it. Man these doctors
like to deny what they do to us. Brush it
under the rug and we dont have to deal
with it.
We no longer can 't file malpratice but
we can try to charge him with a criminal
offence. If your interested there is a
site called patients in arms lots of
information for the patients rights. I
just came accross this the other night.
There is an article pertaining to my
exact problem if you look up a deathblow
to denial under patients in arms you can
read it. There may also be information
for you. Dr.Eileen marie wayne is an
advocate for patient rights on any type of
medical treatment. I will be quoting
some of the information on monday beleive
me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will let you know
what happened. I will be going away for a
week so it may not be a litlle later this
month but I will let you know. Thanks for
you letter and best of luck to you. We
will talk more in detail about you soon.
Whitney
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Chinarose
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 33 Location: Louisiana
to Victoria Posted: 03-11-04 00:47am
Hey. Sorry to hear about your problem. I
too have had a hysterectomy. They found a
very large ("the size of a baby's
head"-the doctor said)cyst they said was
on my ovary. They did a vaginal
ultrasound after my complaining of pains.
My doctor said they needed to take it out
and I have had problems with dysplasia on
my cervix too so they wanted to give me a
hysterectomy leaving one ovary. So I went
to have the surgery and my doctor refused
to do the surgery because I didn't have
the deductable. It was 6:00 am and the
bank opened at 9:00 so I could have a
friend to get the money. I was her
patient for over 7 years and always paid
her. It was only $300. They had me in
the back started preping me for surgery
when she said she wouldn't do it. So, I
quit seeing her and got a new doctor for a
second opinion. He looked at my records
and did a pap but did no ultrasound. He
agreed that I should have the
hysterectomy. My tubes were also tied so
I agreed. After surgery he tells me that
my ovaries were normal and that the cyst
was attacked to the abdominal wall (the
mesina wall or something like that). He
took out my uterus,and cervix and left my
ovaries. I feel my hysterectomy was
unneccessary too. I think he should have
just taken out the cyst. Do you think I
should take legal action? Please tell me
how your suit goes! Thanks.
Victoria,
theres nothing wrong with contacting an
attorney. Make sure you have all your
medical papers with you . Have an outline
of what you want him to review in other
words get all your ducks in a row. A
medical malpratice has to be black and
white for an attorney to take a case , it
cost alot of money to pursue our kind of
case. You only have 2 years to file a
case and you can get an extention for 6
months if it's close to the 2 year
deadline. It shouldn't cost you anything
. So get at it and try!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goog luck
hi
there...One doctor did a laparoscopy on me
and his "assumption" (his words not mine)
was that of endometriosis. He told me
the best way to get rid of it would be a
full hysterectomy. However, he also said
that he'd never give one to someone of my
age so he then sent me to another
doctor.
his response to my
complaint about that issue was just too
embarrassing and degrading to all women!
I will be having brain surgery to
decompress the glosso nerve at base of
brain. :p so good for you, I know you
only have so long to take legal action, I
think. But on behalf of the many of us
who don't need to have hysterectomies,
especially someone your age, I wish you
luck and would love to here your outcome!