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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Letter from a Reader: Doctor's Negligence Leads to Severe Pain

Image courtesy of www.negligenceprofessionals.co.uk

Hello FashionPulis,

Allow me to share my experience with this certain doctor from a private hospital in San Juan.

Last July 5, 2013, I had an operation for the removal of my myoma (Total Abdominal Hysterectomy, Left salpingo-oophorectomy/ Pfannenstiel Incision/GAOT). The procedure was performed at this private hospital in San Juan by this certain doctor, who is affiliated with our HMO, Intellicare.

Several months after the operation was performed, I started experiencing severe abdominal pains (worse, like labor pains), severe pain during urination, vaginal bleeding (which I thought was normal), discharges with foul odor, vaginal infection, constant hypertension, and fever.

On October 24, 2014, I went see an ob-gynecologist at in a mall for what I thought was urinary tract infection. The doctor there advised me to go back to the doctor who performed the surgery because there was a suture from my operation that caused bleeding and infection.

I went back to to my doctor last October 25, 2014 to complain about these problems, and she performed tests, namely, urinalysis, CBC, transvaginal ultrasound, pap smear, and FBS. My doctor also advised me to seek clearance from my cardiologist for possible surgery. Further tests, namely, ECG, PT, PTT, and X-ray were needed.

However, the pain kept recurring and worsened. Even after several tests, my doctor could still not find anything wrong. She started giving me verbal diagnosis, such as telling me that I may have cancer or a scratch.

Prescribed medicine, such as antibiotics and pain relievers, did not improve my condition. During these times, I became depressed and anxious of my situation. My work got affected, as I was recurrently absent because of physical pain. My superior almost terminated me because I could not carry out my work properly. A very good career opportunity did not push through because of my absences from work, and I missed out on the merit increase cycle because of this situation.

Our finances were depleting. Since I have consumed my leave balances, I was on a “no work, no pay” status. I kept buying and taking medicines that did not cure me. My husband needed to attend to me and my children, and missed his work duties. Hence, he did not get his daily allowance as well. As a result, the relationship with my husband and children suffered. As I was unable to care for my children well, time spent with my family suffered. I had emotional anxiety, and my body was fatigued with laboratory tests. We were all mentally and emotionally in pain because of my situation.

In November 17, I had a checkup with another OB. She saw the suture had not dissolved .She said that it was the cause of all that I have been experiencing. The suture was there all along and was not removed. It was a clear manifestation of carelessness. She also advised me to have kidney and bladder ultrasound just to make sure that those organs were not affected.

Finally, the suture was removed last November 19, 2014 in the same hospital. We got in touch with someone in the higher ups, who promised us settlement. However, my doctor seemed to keep delaying the process and made me feel stupid, too. As per my operation technique dated last July 2013, the report said that my cervix was removed, but as per my transvaginal (performed at the same hospital with their OB) test last October 2014, the result said that my cervix was very much intact. I was simply told that perhaps it was probably my fats, which showed that laboratories and equipment in their facilities were not accurate.

Thank you so much Fashion Pulis for publishing my story. I hope something positive will come out of this.

Sincerely,
Lani

Note: FashionPulis is open to the side of the involved parties. Letter was edited for brevity and publication purposes.

47 comments:

  1. Scary. I hope matapos na ang paghihirap nya. Minsan we cannot rely on some doctors sa mga ospital sa Pilipinas. Sometimes we need some background check.

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    1. Hindi porke reputable at sikat ang hospital, magaling na din ang doctors. I had my lobectomy at Heart Center and I'm doing great. No side-effects, no relapses. They even tried to discourage me to take pain killers kasi may tendency syang maging addictive. I have to endure pain para tumaas yung pain tolerance ko... at nakakatulong naman. Sana pala nag 2nd opinion sya. Saka hindi lahat ng doctors na accredited ng HMO ok. I hope maging ok sya.

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  2. Where was the suture removed from? Did they open her up again? To be sure if the cervix was indeed removed, they should check the histopath/biopsy result if the cervix was indeed removed during surgery

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    1. It was removed from her uterus apparently. It was all rotted and moldy when the doctor managed to pull it out (bec of the body rejecting it) -l's son

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    2. U mean to say ur mom underwent another operation? Can u type the histopath/biopsy result? Just the diagnosis at the very bottom of the paper that is usually written in bold

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    3. hindi na po sya inoperahan, bale po ginupit na lang po yung mga natirang sinulid and yung hindi natanggal sinunog po via suppository na antibiotic, ginawa po yun same hospital but different OB.

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  3. sinong matalinong doctor ang magtatahi ng incision na gumagamit ng di naddissolve na suture...kaloka!

    -xoxo-

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    1. Exactly. To think na internal operation pa ata? Ano ba yun. Mukhang sa C yung hospital na sinasabi. Magandang hospital naman yun. Parang common sense nalang yung sa suture eh.

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    2. Meron naman talaga non-absorbable sutures. Usually sa labas un ng area Then absorbable sa loob kasi pag absorbable sa outer layer may mga times na matagal magheal kaya bumubuka ung natahi.

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    3. Speaking objectively, iba iba po talaga ang sutures per area. Like pag oral cavity, gumagamit ng absorbable sutures. Pero sa mga nagdudugong ugat and skin, usually non absorbable. Kasi syempre gusto mo maghold ang suture sa dumudugong ugat and sa skin naman pangit ang scar kapag pinadissolve mo lang suture. In this case mahirap magjudge, pwede kasing nagka adverse reaction talaga ang pasyente sa suture na yun (na wala namang allergy testing for sutures) na wala namang at fault or pwede ding lifestyle ng pasyente (na pasyente ang may kasalanan) or pwede ding nakalimutan nga ng doktor tanggalin ang suture (doctor's negligence) . Maraming possibilities kaya mahirap mag judge. Yung sa ultrasound naman, nakakawala nga naman ng bilib pag nakita mong may cervix ka pa pero wala naman talaga. Dapat nirereview nila ng maayos ang history ng pasyente.

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    4. Naalala ko rin itong hospital dito sa amin, ewan ko kung baki thindi pa pinapasara dahil ang dami ding nag-re-reklamo. Yung kapit bahay ko sumakit ang tyan tapos pumunta sa hospital aba pinapapirma na at ooperahan na daw yun pala nung uminom sya ng gamot sinikmura lang pala nawala,, nakapasa pa sa Medial test nya kaya nakapunta na ng US.

      Tapos ako nagbabara na daw ang puso ko eh Asthma lang.

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    5. Depende yan kung saan ang tahi. Hindi porke reputable at sikat ang hospital, magaling na din ang doctors. I had my lobectomy at Heart Center and I'm doing great. No side-effects, no relapses. They even tried to discourage me to take pain killers kasi may tendency syang maging addictive. I have to endure pain para tumaas yung pain tolerance ko... at nakakatulong naman. Sana pala nag 2nd opinion sya. Saka hindi lahat ng doctors na accredited ng HMO ok. I hope maging ok sya.

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  4. It is one thing to pass the medical board exam, and another thing to be really efficient in the actual performance of their duties. Doctors should continue studying, training and improving their knowledge and skills because the lives of their patients are at stake.

    Sadly, there are some doctors that just don't exert effort well in dealing with patients. You can see these instances in both public and private hospitals.

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    1. agree anon 1:52AM! Kaya nga ako I lost my trust sa mga doctor lalo na sa OB kasi I have also an experience with regards of my vaginosis naman, ilang OB na napuntahan ko, wala silang ibang ginawa kundi mag-reseta ng antibiotics tapos balewala din kasi di naman ako nagaling, nawawala siya for a while pero nabalik ulit after ilang months lang at mas lalong matindi ung sakit ko! Nakakafrustrate na! Ubos pera, ubos oras at lakas! Ang lagi kong naririnig sa kanila HYGIENE, HYGIENE, HYGIENE! Punyeta! Mag-research nga sila! LAHAT NA NG ADVICE NILA SINUNOD KO, PERO WALA PA RIN! WALA RIN AKO MULTIPLE PARTNERS (I'M MARRIED!), my husband is clean as well! Nakakainsulto na din sinasabi ng mga doctor kasi parang pinapalabas nila na kami ang nag-ccause ng sakit namin! Bwisit sila! PERA-PERA NA LANG KASI SILA! Sorry FP, matindi lang talaga trauma ko sa mga OB na ganyan!

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    2. kasama po yan sa findings ko sa unang OB at talagang ni research ko pa. kasama din yan sa nireklamo ko sa medical director nila at pakiramdam ko ay nabastos ako

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    3. To enlighten you, anon 11:25am, bacterial vaginosis happens when there is a change in the vaginal pH. Hence, pwd umulit umulit. Changes in weather (humid), stress, ill fitting pants n undies could be the risk factors so hygiene tlg, other than meds, is very important. It is also not sexually transmitted, hence, ur partner does not need to be treated. It can also be self limiting but pwd umulit tlg just like common colds and cough. Hope this helps.
      - your friendly obgyn, FPOGS :-)

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  5. Are doctors supposed to ask questions, observe the patient and just note the applicable symptoms to assess the right tests to be performed. He don't need to do all the tests to determine the illness, the doctor does not seem to be a legit one.

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  6. to think that they have performed so many tests, pero di pa rin na-pinpoint ang reason. ang tagal nya nag sa-suffer. kawawa naman

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  7. if that was the case, she should seek legal help. Did the same doctor perform the 2nd operation? The patient should know what really caused the problem. If she was allergic to the 1st suture used, i think 2 yrs is too long for the doctors to re-open the patient

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  8. I believe this concern has been addressed already. The writer is just making a big fuss out of it.

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  9. Nakita na ng 2nd OB na may suture and hindi pa rin nya nasabi sa OB nya?

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    1. yung 2nd OB ang nagsabi sa unang OB kung ano yung nakuha nya sa pasyente

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    2. Yun din naisip ko. Bakit di nya sinabi agad sa doc nya? O baka nakaligtaan nyang isulat na sinabihan nya yung original OB pero di pinansin?

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    3. nung nagkita po msila nung OB na nagopera sa kanya sinabi nya agad pero hindi po ito pinansin at ang tinanong lang po kung sinong OB ang nagsabi sa kanya

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  10. Yes, the doctor is wrong. But why the hell are you raging online? Go to the court and file a case! Plus, ang tagal na ng lumipas?

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    Replies
    1. ngayon lang po siguro na post pero matagal na po ito na send.

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    2. Wala pong Pambayad sa attorney.

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  11. Dapat yung mga ganito di naka anonymous eh! Pangalanan na yang hospital at lalo na yang doctor na yan. Ang bastos niya siya na nga may kasalanan tapos siya pa may ganang bastusin yang patient. Nurse ako kaya alam ko kahit saan ka pumunta misis mananalo ka.

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  12. C to. C lang ang hospital sa san juan

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    1. Hindi meron pang isang hospital sa San Juan. Kutob ko nga dun nangyari.

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  13. Never had a problem with C hospital ever. Baka ikaw ang may problema. Why did it take you more than a year to have yourself checked again?

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    1. We didn't have a problem with C Hospital as well. If you would be in my place, experienced what I had experienced, felt what I felt, you might think twice with what you placed here as a comment

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    2. Victim blaming na naman. The proximate cause of the suture problem was the doctor's negligence and stupidity. It's the doctor's fault.

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    3. I agree. I've read that this was already addressed by the hospital.

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  14. Take the matter to the court please. Kawawa naman ang mga susunod na pasyente ng doktor na yan.

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  15. Naku magagalit ang l nyan!!!

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  16. God bless you. Hope nah gumaling ka nah ng tuluyan.

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  17. July 2013 ang surgery, Oct. 2014 napansin ang suture? Ang tindi ng threshold mo sa pain. Parang may mali.

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    1. last quarter ng 2013 ang findings ay maraming bacteria sa urine, me mga blood which thought na normal lang since patient is not aware if the uterus was removed, totally no blood (early menopausal) nag manifest yung pain ng sobra sobra nung mga september 2014. nung tignan kung san nanggagaling yung pain saka blood, sa suture as per OB inside the mall and requested to go bak to the OB who done the operation, bumalik sya sun and inform the OB aBout the sutures pero hindi pinansin.

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    2. I'm an OB. If u undewent a TAHBSO, sutures are inside the abdomen. Kahit i-speculum ka ng OB na taga mall, vaginal stump lng makikita nya kc sarado yun sa loob, andu wont see any sutures. So i dont understand how come the second doctor saw a suture when ur stump was closedfrom the inside. After a year of surgery, the wound has healed. Can u enlighten me pls? Thanks:-)

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    3. OB sa mall went to see patients inside cause she's complaining na parang labor pain na yung nararamdaman nya (which is by the way contracting and thought she has a baby and also dumarami na yung discharge ng blood),upon checking dun po nakita na yung fresh blood came from the operation kasi po meron ngang suture na hindi na dissolve. she went back to her OB who done the operation and informed the doctor about the suture. Ang sabi lang ng OB ay kung ilan na ang nakagalaw sayo or what she meant daw is kung ilan na ang nakatingin na OB sa patient. Underwent laboratories, medicines and every visit sanasabi po nya abt dun sa suture pero hindi po pinapansin. nag pa second opinion po sa ibang OB na nirefer ng cardio nya, and pagka check pa lang sa kanya, nakita agad yung sinulid na hindi natunaw.

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  18. Isa pang problem ko sa mga doctors ha. Kapag may sakit ka at umabsent ka sa work you are required to have medcert kaya nga lang itong mga doctor na to akala palagi kang nagsasakit sakitan para makakuha ng medcert , na turn off alo nung sinabi nung doctor sakin last time , " may sakit ka? Sabay ngisi. O ayan ang medcert ilang araw ba gusto mo isng buwan? Pag balik mo wala ka mg trabaho" nakala beast mode si doc , lalo na kung sobrang sama ng pakiramdam mo , bandang muntinlupa itong hosp na ito.

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