Hysterectomy Forum - Unnecessary Hysterectomy

Womens Health > Hysterectomy Forum > Unnecessary Hysterectomy

TOPICS DOCTOR QUESTIONS

Q: Unnecessary Hysterectomy

asked by: victoria36 on February 25th, 2004

New User

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. Sad

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

Replies(9)

Marisa

replied on February 26th, 2004

New User

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?

victoria36

replied on February 26th, 2004

New User

Hi Again

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

victoria36

replied on March 4th, 2004

New User

Me Again.

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. Laughing

just wanted to let you know ok? Take care,victoria

WHITNEY

replied on March 4th, 2004

New User

Unneccessary Hysterectomy

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

victoria36

replied on March 4th, 2004

New User

Hey Again,

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

Katylia

replied on March 6th, 2004

New User

Not Needed Hysterectomy

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. Shocked

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!

WHITNEY

replied on March 6th, 2004

New User

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

Chinarose

replied on March 11th, 2004

New User

to Victoria

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.

WHITNEY

replied on March 18th, 2004

New User

Unneccessary Hysterectomy

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

Learn About Us

Get Help

Join In

Do More

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.

The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made. Schizophrenia health sitemap.
This page was last updated on January 1, 2009.
© 2008 eForums, Inc