Need help in dealing with medical negligence

[Amokie]

Today was a super dark day.

 

I am 28 years old, 2.5 years ago, i hurt my back while doing IPPT shuttle run... and subsequently, i got a 'slipped disc'.

 

I was referred to Changi Hospital for specialist examination, but the 'senior' orthopedic was Super uncaring and asked me take some painkiller and look for him 2 months later.

 

I resorted to looking for a specialist in a private Hospital near my house. I took a MRI and found out the disc was budging into my nerve like a big pimple. The MRI scan shows the herniation is at L4/L5. I was advised for open surgery immediately.

 

After the surgery, it felt better but the pain was still niggling. I often get muscle cramp and pain radiating down. I tahan for very long. Find this doc again and he told me it is normal, never ask me to take post MRI scan. Keep telling me to swim more and charge me his expensive specialist bill i trusted him

 

But the pain was getting worse, I decided to seek a different opinion from another specialist (pain management), took a post MRI scan. Discovery - my L4/L5 is still budging against my nerve like a big pimple!!! and My L5 lamina bone was cut to operate on the disc.

 

This specialist and my general physician both said it should be operated from L4 and not L5. They said i have little choice, I need to do another a 2nd open surgery.... with no more L5 bone to support, i most likely need to be fixed with metal n screws.

 

I spent so much money to be screwed? super dissapointed

 

I am going to confront this private hospital specialist tomorrow and lodge a report with the hospital management and medical council. If all fail, i will engage a lawyer.

 

Anyone with experience in this?

Edited June 1, 2009 by Amokie

[Drive_carcar]

Really sorry to learn of your plight. I had a lawyer friend to admitted to me, they most afraid of taking medical negligence cases. In most situations, it's a really hard fight.

 

Here's what will happen:

 

The lawyer representing you will have to deal with the hospital's lawyers, the doctor's own lawyers, the insurance company's lawyers, everybody will engage their own medical experts to justify their prognosis. And for youself you will have to find another specialist (at least an Assoc Prof level) to examine advice you, and give you the necessary medical reports, and be prepared to back you up in court. It is going to cost you lots of money to have this specialist speak for you in court also.

 

What you can do is to do a formal complaint to SMA first, ask them to investigate first. If they are able to establish negligence on the part of the specialist, then take the findings and get a lawyer to sue the pants out of the so called specialist.

 

Hope this info is useful for you.

[Bugsbunny]

Good luck. hope you can settle off court.

[Ngck]

some of the doctors are very unethical... only want money and arrogant

 

due to the specialize nature of medicine, there are 1001 ways for them to cover up.

 

not forgetting kaki kaki card..

 

but i wish you success....

[Kongkongwolf]

No IPPT no slip disc. Guess you know who should be involved.

[Vextan]

bro, i really empathize with you. i know how it is like to have severe back pain. you must be very careful with your back and avoid carrying heavy things and work out. take care and hope to see you in mcf around often.

[Toapayohkid]

bro you take care. get lawyer's advice first. get b/w from specialist on the second op - but one thing, doctors are tight. they would not say bad thing about another doctor usually. unless, it is different company e.g. changi is singhealth company...doctors and healthcare is a business, must exploit that.

[Skateboard]

Really suay.. take care of your health.

[Header]

bro, I support u. If there is real negligence, we shd take action and not take it lying down. Not only to seek some justice for urself, but also to ensure in future no one else will suffer the same fate as u. Best of luck.

[Amokie]

bloody hell, just made a call to him... he said the operation was not to remove the disc but to dissect around the nerve. that's why the mri still shows a budge...

 

as a layman, what am i supposed to say... going to seek another specialist report and go down.

 

this is damn depressing