A woman has won a record settlement from the NHS after suffering severe complications from a vaginal mesh implant.
According to reports, the woman has won at least £1 million after experiencing medical negligence at Coventry’s University Hospital.
Yvette Greenway-Mansfield, 59 suffered from serious complications after she was given a mesh implant at Coventry’s University Hospital in 2009.
According to reports, her claim against the hospital trust found that the surgery had been carried out prematurely and unnecessarily and that her consent form had been doctored to include additional risks after she had signed it.
The issues started when Greenway-Mansfield,59 visited her GP after she developed lower abdominal discomfort and increased frequency of urination, causing anxiety around drinking fluids.
Her symptoms were attributed to a uterine prolapse and a consultant gynaecologist recommend a vaginal hysterectomy with the insertion of transvaginal tape (TVT) mesh implant.
At first, the surgery appeared to have been successful, but in 2017, she started to experience pain and bleeding. Greenway-Mansfield told a news outlet that it was suggested that the mesh might have started to erode into the vaginal wall, which left her shocked.
“I had no idea such complications could happen,” she said.
In 2020, the mesh was removed following a private referral to the Spire Bristol Hospital as the pain became more severe. But now she still suffers from urinary and faecal incontinence and chronic pain.
According to a report, the claim found that Greenway-Mansfield’s form consenting to the procedures had been altered after she had signed it. The hospital’s version included a cystoscopy and extra risks, including failure, tape erosion, pain, overactive bladder and deep vein thrombosis.
However, these were not on Greenway-Mansfield’s original carbon copy, which she had retained. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Greenway-Mansfield. “I felt utterly vindicated.”
“If I hadn’t kept that documentation, I could be standing in court, being subjected to a grilling, being made out to be a liar,” she said. “It breaks my heart for women who have to go through that.”
The surgery was also deemed to have been carried out before other options were explored, such as physiotherapy and bladder training.
According to the NHS website, the use of the tension free vaginal tape (TVT) sling for stress incontinence was paused in 2017, due to safety concerns about mesh and tapes.
A mesh review has been carried out and the tension free vaginal tape sling for stress incontinence is the only tape that might be approved for use. This awaits further information.
Neil Clayton, clinical negligence partner at Lime Solicitors, which represented Greenway-Mansfield, said:
“The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust owed a duty of care to ensure it obtained Mrs. Greenway-Mansfield’s fully informed consent to any surgical procedure and advised her of the likely risks that could arise as a result.”
“The gynaecologist proceeded to surgery prematurely before exhausting all behavioural and medical options. Furthermore, she carried out the wrong operation for the wrong condition and proceeded to surgery unnecessarily.
“It is particularly shocking that Mrs. Greenway-Mansfield signed a consent form that was altered afterwards to include risks she was never made aware of.
“No amount of money can fully compensate Mrs. Greenway-Mansfield for the pain she has suffered and will continue to experience, and the lifelong care she will require, which all stems back to her not requiring mesh in the first place.”
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said:
“We have directly offered our sincerest apologies to Mrs. Greenway-Mansfield and recognise how her life has been affected by this procedure in 2009.
“The provision of procedures using vaginal mesh to treat stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse has been paused in England since 2019, and specialist centres were created in 2022.”
“We hope the settlement will enable Mrs. Greenway-Mansfield to meet her ongoing care needs and provide security for her and her family into the future.”
VT surgery – what is it?
Tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery is when a TVT sling is placed underneath the urethra and acts like a sling to support it. The surgery is usually performed on women who have been through pregnancy or have had a hysterectomy.
It is carried out to help women who suffer from incontinence due to the deterioration of the pelvic floor. It is implemented to stop the involuntary release of urine during activities such as laughing or coughing.
The procedure is usually performed under general anaesthetic.
Risks of TVT surgery
According to the NHS website, there are some risks associated with TVT surgery. These include:
- Initial difficulty in passing urine. This is usually managed by having a catheter inserted to drain the bladder and you can go home with a leg bag for a few days.
- Less commonly, patients may need to use clean intermittent self-catheterisation for a short period of time. In extremely rare circumstances, the tape may have to be divided to help passing urine
- Postoperative pain
Uncommon risks:
- Urinary tract infection, which may need antibiotics
- Wound infection, which may need antibiotics
- Wound bruising and delayed wound healing
- Persistence or development of overactive bladder symptoms. (urgency and frequency of passing urine). This usually settles with medication
- Damage to the bladder and / or bowel, which will be repaired during surgery. If such injury is not identified and repaired at the time, there is a risk of fistula, but this is extremely rare
- Late onset difficulty passing urine. This may develop days or even weeks after being able to pass urine smoothly. The management is the same as initial difficulty passing urine, either by using a catheter with a leg bag and / or clean intermittent self catheterisation
- Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (blood clot in leg / lung). This is extremely rare with such minimally invasive procedures
- Failure to improve or cure stress incontinence, or its recurrence with time. This is rare but will need reassessment and may require further surgery
- Bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Sometimes the bleeding does not become apparent till after leaving theatre, and may require return to theatre
- Tape erosion exposure into the vagina, bladder or bowel. This is rare but may require excision of the exposed tape
- Tape infection. This is very rare but may require removal of the tape
- Pain, which can be associated with intercourse. Usually this improves with time, use of pain killers and / or injection of Local anaesthetics and steroids. In extremely rare occasions, the tape may need to be removed
- Groin pain, in the case of trans obturator tape. Again this is rare, which usually improves with time and the use of pain killers. In extremely rare occasions, the tape may need to be removed
- In order for you to make an informed choice about your surgery, please ask one of the doctors or nurses if you have any questions about the operation before signing the consent form
TVT Complications – what should I do?
The NHS halted most mesh operations in 2018 after a number of women experienced life-changing and life-threatening injuries as a result of the operations.
Baroness Cumberlege said an independent review found no evidence on the benefits for treating urinary incontinence that would outweigh “the severity of human suffering caused by mesh complications”.
“My team and I are in no doubt that this pause is necessary. We must stop exposing women to the risk of life-changing and life-threatening injuries. We must have measures in place to mitigate the risk, and those are sadly lacking at the moment.
“At this stage in our review we are not recommending a ban, but a halt to procedures.”
Complications may include the following:
- Bleeding
- Incontinence
- Pain and discomfort in the pelvic area or during urination
- Bladder infections or perforation
- Vaginal scarring or erosion
How to make a claim
If a link between your suffering and the TVT surgery can be proven, you may be entitled to make a medical negligence claim. Legal experts at Oakwood Solicitors will be able to assist you in making a claim.
Relevant reading
Negligent surgical operations and medical care – Oakwood Solicitors
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A woman has won a record settlement from the NHS after suffering severe complications from a vaginal mesh implant. According to reports, the woman has won at least £1 million after experiencing medical negligence at Coventry’s University Hospital. Yvette Greenway-Mansfield, 59 suffered from serious complications after she was given a mesh implant at Coventry’s…
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