Woman receives six-figure settlement following surgery at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
A woman has received a six-figure settlement following a claim against Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital after she underwent an operation to alleviate her hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Posted on 12 July 2017
The woman, who wishes to be known as Laura, first had surgery to improve her sweating at the hospital in 2005. The procedure was initially successful but in 2010 Laura began sweating excessively again.
She was advised by doctors at the hospital that she would need to have the surgery done again.
Laura went back to the hospital for the surgery to be redone in 2012. She woke up from the procedure with a very swollen and drooping left eye which was diagnosed as Horner’s Syndrome. She was also experiencing pain in her chest and numbness in her arm.
The pain and numbness continue to this day and as a consequence she has been unable to return to her job as a dental nurse. Laura’s sweating is much worse since the second surgery and more widespread, greatly affecting her day-to-day life.
Laura brought a legal claim against Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital arguing that it was inappropriate for her to undergo two procedures of this type. She also argued that the surgical technique used by the hospital was negligent during the second operation.
The hospital admitted liability for the Horner’s syndrome alone, part-way through the progress of the claim but defended all other claims brought by Laura. Two weeks before the trial was due to commence, the hospital offered to pay Laura reasonable damages for her injuries.
Kirsten Wall, clinical negligence solicitor at law firm Leigh Day, represented Laura in her claim.
She said:
“The ongoing consequences of the second surgery performed on Laura have had a significant impact on her life.
“She continues to this day, five years later, to suffer from chronic pain and numbness. On top of that the original problem that the hospital was supposed to fix has been made much worse.
“I am pleased that we have managed to settle this claim on Laura’s behalf. The sum received will help her obtain the care and support she needs to deal with the consequences of the negligent second surgery.”