Advice regarding a pregnancy and failed vasectomy

DKLS

bubbles228 wrote: »

Hi,
I take your point on board regarding a claim but we were under the impression that it was 100% sorted as it was confirmed by the hospital that there was no sperm there and that we could now have unprotected sex.

We were never told that the vas could grow or rejoin which is what must have happened, if we knew this could happen then I would have got sterilized too to limit the risk further but at least we would have been informed correctly.

Did you not research the procedure?, I have had a vasectomy, I got all the NHS/Marie Stopes information, I also read a number of clinical papers on the clinical outcomes and risks and read the surgical procedure notes so I could make an informed decision before going ahead.

It really does surprise me that people dont research procedures and ops.

Savvy_Sue

With the best will in the world, there will always be a gap between what is explained and what is understood.

I don't remember everything I was told before my sterilisation: my recollection is along the lines of "the chances of failure are so minute as to be not worth worrying about". Admittedly that's rather more years ago the the OP's DH's vasectomy, but unless he has the patient information leaflet he was given then, expecting him to remember what was explained about the failure rates may not be reasonable.

I have friends who say they weren't told that you had to wait for a clear test before having unprotected sex, and a child to prove it! That I can't believe! :rotfl:

barnaby-bear

bubbles228 wrote: »

Hi,
I take your point on board regarding a claim but we were under the impression that it was 100% sorted as it was confirmed by the hospital that there was no sperm there and that we could now have unprotected sex.

We were never told that the vas could grow or rejoin which is what must have happened, if we knew this could happen then I would have got sterilized too to limit the risk further but at least we would have been informed correctly.

It would have been very odd to have not had to sign a consent form detailing possible adverse outcomes/failures.... if you had have opted for a sterilisation which is a far larger procedure and riskier one would you have evaluated the higher risks for yourself regarding performated bowel/incontinence/infection/death etc? Would you have sued for the complications if no negligence involved? Surgical outcomes are never 100% guaranteed but medical procedures should outline possible side-effects etc along with the signed consent form. Did you read all the information given to you and all the details of what was signed - perhaps getting copies might be the way forward.

oystercatcher

bubbles228 wrote: »

Hi,
I take your point on board regarding a claim but we were under the impression that it was 100% sorted as it was confirmed by the hospital that there was no sperm there and that we could now have unprotected sex.

We were never told that the vas could grow or rejoin which is what must have happened, if we knew this could happen then I would have got sterilized too to limit the risk further but at least we would have been informed correctly.

You should have been given a copy of the signed consent listing all the possibile complications. If you've kept it you can look and see what you were told.
My guess is you didn't bother to read it.

windswept

My hubby will soon be having his first test to check his snip worked, the failure rate IS very low, not that it's much comfort to you I know but it also very much depends on what method was used, our consultant takes quite a section of vas deferens out and then buries the cut ends into the flesh, he reckons he hasn't had a failure in 15 years.
Different docs prefer different methods, some suture the cut ends, some cauterize, some leave ends "undone" as this apparently lessens the risk of post vasectomy pain syndrome , but nothing is ever 100%, as the forms say.
I wouldn't think twice about having a termination should I fall pregnant after having my coil removed - the thought of having a baby is horrific at 43 with a grown up dd of 19, fortunately I'm not ovulating with any regularity anymore but accidents do happen and I will be hyper vigilant with the knowledge that I could take the early abortion pill quite happily, my husband would never accuse me of infidlelity should pregnancy occur either, not if he would like to remain alive anyway.

I was quite amazed to learn that it takes on average 20 ejaculations to clear out the tubes! I am keeping "score" and have noticed a change in consistency this past week, despite the fact the literature states there is no change in either volume or texture.

I think the biggest shame is that men aren't counselled on the very real risks of pvps and lessened sexual pleasure, we did lots of research and still decided to go ahead but I would never advise any man to have it done - it has to be a couple's decision and no one should try and influence that either way.

imfedup

:eek::eek: NO WAY - I am going on the pill right now!

Paparika

bubbles228 wrote: »

Good Evening,

My husband had a vasectomy back in Sept 2007 had 2 specimen tests and got the all clear from the hospital lab.

I have just found out nearly 2 years later that I am pregnant and I have not cheated on my husband and never would.

I have four children already but a termination is not an option for I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

I feel very stressed as this was not supposed to happen and to make things worse my husband has recently been made redundant.

I am going to seek advice from CAB regarding compensation from NHS as this should never have happened in the first place and this was soooo not planned.

Does anyone know of this happening to them or any advice on making a claim?

I hope to hear from someone.

Thanks

you may find that some small print some where will tell you that sterilisation male or female is not 100%, we just take it for granted that it is.

Katie-Kat-Kins

I think as a lawyer that this is something you need to take specialist legal advice on. Clinical negligence is a niche area and CAB are not experts in this field. A specialist clinical negligence firm will offer you a free initial consultation, will be able to tell you your prospects of success and advise you on funding any case you are advised to bring.

Visit the legal 500 website or solicitors regulation authority to find a suitable firm specialising in clinical negligence for claimants.

This is not a job for your average high street solicitors practice, many responsible lawyers will refuse to take clinical negligence cases as they are specialist but sadly I see many firms who are prepared to do "a bit of everything" and the phrase jack of all trades master of none always springs to mind.

To everyone who has told her she won't succeed, I'll wait to hear where you got your law degree from and when you saw the OPs DH's scans and medical records!!!

Please do not advise on matters about which you don't have sufficient knowledge.

peachyprice

But it isn't negilgence.
No form of contraceptive, which this is, albeit the most invasive, is 100% effective, sometimes mother nature wins.

If OP's OH's !!!! had fallen off, fair enough, that would be negligent.

Katie-Kat-Kins

But you can't know that the surgery wasn't negligently carried out without further investigations, perhaps the tubes weren't correctly tied and that increased the risk of them rejoining for example.

You also don't know whether the advice he was given may have been negligent, if he genuinely wasn't advised of the risk of failure then this could be negligence too.