Featured Articles – Expert Witness Features – page 27

When vasectomy fails

THE COMMONEST reason for cases coming to court regarding vasectomies is because of pregnancy resulting from the vasectomy failing. A number of high-profile cases in the 1990s established the principal that, although damages could be claimed for the pain and trauma of the pregnancy and the failed operation, the costs of bringing up a resultant child cannot be claimed. A number of courts, including the House of Lords in 1998, concluded that the birth of a healthy child should be regarded as “a blessing” rather than an unmitigated disaster.

Substantial damages have been awarded, however, in cases where the failure of the vasectomy results in complications that cause severe pain.

How broken bones can lead to shattered lives

CONSULTANT orthopaedic surgeons deal with operations and procedures involving the bones and joints. That will include fractures and trauma of the bones as well as reconstructive surgery of the bones and joints. They deal with neck and back injuries involving soft tissue and muscle, as well as ligament injuries and joint reconstruction.

The most common types of fracture they would deal with include those to the clavicle, ribs, scaphoid, humerus, radius, ulna, femur and tibia as well as the small bones of the hands and feet.

Reconstructive surgery involves hip and knee replacements as well as surgery on the ligaments of the knee, ankle, shoulder and hand.

Whiplash injuries that persist will need relevant therapy

WHIPLASH AND associated injuries are a range of mainly soft tissue injuries to the neck and back that affect a number of occupants of motor vehicles hit from the rear or from the side by other vehicles, as well as occasionally from other causes.

The symptoms from the neck injuries frequently do not develop for several hours and may not have developed until after an early visit to a doctor or an accident and emergency department.

A significant majority of those neck injuries are mild and clear away within a week or two, leaving no lasting ill effect.

When hernia operations go wrong

ONE OF THE commonest routine operations carried out in general surgery departments is the repair of hernias. Around 120,000 people present with hernias in the UK every year, so it is no surprise that a proportionate number of clinical negligence cases are brought.

During the course of last year a number of cases were reported by law firms concerning clinical errors arising in operations to repair hernias.

One of the most harrowing was reported by Swindon clinical negligence specialists S J Edney.

Dentists urged to adhere to tissue rules

ONE OF THE areas of dentistry where patient safety is potentially at risk is in the use of acellular bone or skin products – products derived from human tissue.

Since April last year all suppliers of such products must hold a licence from the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and last November the HTA reiterated that by calling on dentists and oral surgeons to ensure they are using products from licensed suppliers.