Bad Outcome After Cauda Equina Surgery

If you have been left with a poor outcome after cauda equina surgery, have you been the victim of medical negligence? In this article we explore the issue of cauda equina surgery in more detail.

Function after cauda equina surgery

In order to preserve neurological function after cauda equina syndrome, it is essential that surgery is carried out before the nerve roots die. This means an operation is needed while the condition is still incomplete.

If decompression surgery is carried out while the condition is incomplete (where there is still some bladder control), there is a good chance that neurological function will be preserved. There may be some ongoing complaints, but these may improve for up to five years after the operation.

However, it is possible that a patient will suffer a bad outcome, despite adequate surgery. This is normally due to scarring or nerve damage.

It is also likely that there will be a poor outcome if surgery is performed when the condition has already progressed to the complete stage. This is because the nerve roots will be so deficient in blood and oxygen that they will have become necrotic (died), after which they cannot be revived.

Is medical error to blame?

If a patient arrives at hospital with complete cauda equina syndrome, there is little that medical practitioners can do to save neurological function. Medical error cannot therefore be blamed, unless of course a patient has previously presented to their GP or hospital and was wrongly discharged.

Yet if a patient presents with incomplete cauda equina syndrome, medical practitioners will have a small window of opportunity in which to salvage the nerves. If they fail to carry out surgery during this time – despite a patient displaying the tell-tale signs of cauda equina compression – there will be a case of medical negligence.

Claiming compensation for medical negligence

If you have been harmed as a result of medical negligence, you will be legally eligible to pursue a claim for compensation. Cauda equina claims are unfortunately all too common, even though it is a relatively rare condition. This is because medical practitioners often fail to diagnose and treat the condition in a timely fashion, even though they are presented with opportunities to do so.

To find out if you can claim compensation for cauda equina syndrome, please get in touch with us today. We specialise in cauda equina syndrome and will be able to advise you further.

Please call us free on 0800 234 3300, from a mobile click to call 01275 334030 or complete our Free Online Enquiry for a no cost, no obligation opinion.

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