Over £19m has already been paid in compensation by NHS Resolutions to more than 450 patients as result of concerns raised about surgical mesh used in bowel procedures by surgeon Tony Dixon in Bristol.
Dixon carried out the treatments, using artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels, at Southmead Hospital and Spire Hospital. Concerns raised include unnecessary procedures, a lack of informed consent, and questions over the reliability of some of the research used to support the LVMR (laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy) surgical technique.
Surgical mesh
Surgical mesh remains a widely used and often appropriate treatment. However, cases like this illustrate how problems can arise where:
- procedures are carried out without clear clinical justification
- risks and alternatives are not properly explained
- treatments are based on limited or questionable evidence
The importance of informed consent
The legal position on consent is well established: Patients should be made aware of any material risks involved in a proposed treatment, as well as reasonable alternatives.
If a patient undergoes a procedure without being given sufficient information to make an informed decision, this may give rise to a claim (even where the procedure itself was performed competently).
Evidence based practice and patient safety
An issue also highlighted in this matter is the question of the evidence underpinning certain surgical techniques. In this instance, aspects of the published research relating to the procedure have been formally questioned.
Where a procedure is carried out on the basis of limited or unreliable evidence – particularly without clear patient understanding – this can be relevant in assessing whether the appropriate standard of care was met.
Do you have concerns?
If you have concerns that:
- a surgical mesh procedure may not have been necessary
- you were not fully informed before treatment
- or you have experienced unexpected complications
you may wish to seek legal advice. Our specialist medical negligence team can assess your circumstances and advise whether you may have a claim.
Call or Email our experts today for confidential advice.
