Symptoms of Bowel Injury After Hysterectomy

By the age of 60, one-third of all women will have had a hysterectomy, making it one of the most common surgical procedures. However, it is still a significant abdominal operation and can have severe complications.

Sometimes, bowel injuries can be caused during a hysterectomy. Here, Potter Rees Dolan takes a look at how bowel injuries can be caused and how to spot them.

What is a hysterectomy?

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the uterus (womb). Sometimes the ovaries, cervix or fallopian tubes are also removed. This surgery may be carried out for a variety of conditions, such as cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids.

How is the bowel injury caused during a hysterectomy? 

A hysterectomy procedure can result in uncommon but serious problems involving the bowel. Due to the proximity of the womb to other organs in the pelvic region, a surgeon can unintentionally damage the small or large intestine (bowel) when removing the uterus (especially if they are inexperienced). Those who have had past abdominal surgery or who have conditions such as endometriosis, tumours or large fibroids are more at risk.

The majority of intestinal injuries caused by hysterectomy surgery are caught and treated in the operating room. But, if the injury is not discovered, or if the repair is not done properly, bacteria and faeces may leak out of the bowel, which may result in the formation of dangerous infections in the abdominal cavity.

What are the symptoms? 

Following a hysterectomy, the following symptoms can indicate that there has been injury to the bowel:

• Severe abdominal discomfort

• Fever

• Chills

• Nausea

• Swollen belly 

It is important that these symptoms are not ignored because untreated bowel damage can result in sepsis. Sepsis is a potentially life threatening condition which can result in damage to major organs, amputations of fingers, toes or even entire limbs and, in the worst cases, death. Patients who have suffered bowel injuries may also need a stoma (an opening in the abdomen to allow the bowel to be emptied) which can be temporary or permanent.

My bowel has been damaged during a hysterectomy - is it negligence? 

There are always risks involved in procedures like hysterectomies, and the fact that bowel damage has occurred does not necessarily mean that the surgeon was negligent.

In order to establish negligence, you must demonstrate that the care that you received fell below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent doctor. For example, it may be argued the damage caused to your bowel should have been obvious to the surgeon, or that they failed to repair the injury adequately, or that they disregarded symptoms which indicated that you had suffered bowel damage. 

If you believe that your surgery was performed negligently, it is important that you contact an experienced solicitor to help build your case. 

Contact us

If you require advice regarding a bowel injury after your hysterectomy, contact our expert team today on 0800 027 2557, or fill out our online contact form for a member of our team to contact you at a time convenient for you.