A woman has been awarded £35,000 in compensation for a failed gastric band operation after doctors negligently failed to close an incision in her stomach which led to complications.
Rachel Benefer (28) – a mother of two from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire – underwent the operation in 2007 at the Classic Hospital in Hull after her weight had risen above nineteen stones due to polycystic ovary syndrome.
Surgeons at the hospital initially thought that the operation had been a success, but Rachel developed a hernia in her small bowel due to the failure to properly close an incision in her stomach and she developed an inflammation of the abdominal wall and acute peritonitis as a consequence.
Rachel lapsed into a coma and spent five weeks in hospital – during which time she had to undergo an emergency tracheotomy procedure and have further surgery to treat the hernia. As a result of her ordeal, Rachel suffered from mild depression and has permanent scars from surgery on her abdomen.
After seeking legal advice, Rachel made a claim for compensation for a failed gastric band operation against the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust and, shortly before a hearing into her case was scheduled, the Trust admitted liability for her injuries and a settlement of £35,000 was negotiated.