A 66-year-old Hampshire woman had to undergo unnecessary surgery to remove her breast implants after a hospital wrongly told her they had ruptured.
Clinicians at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust performed an ultrasound on the woman after she had pain in her neck and enlarged lymph nodes in 2018.
The staff told her that one of her breast implants had ruptured and that both would have to be removed or her health problems would worsen.
She was then left waiting months for a surgery date and says that due to fears that the implants were “running into her body” she decided to have the operation at a private hospital in January 2019.
It was only after her surgery that her implants were found to be intact.
The Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO), following an investigation into a complaint against the trust, found there were “no conclusive signs that the implant had ruptured”, according to radiology experts.
According to NHS guidance on breast imaging standards, the patient should have had an MRI.
This was not done and the PHSO has decided if an MRI had been done it would have made it clear that the implants had not ruptured and surgery would have been avoided.
Her story comes after a report in 2021 by the Ombudsman warned the NHS of repeated failings in the way X-rays and scans are reported and monitored in the NHS service.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told PHSO: “I was worried about my health, especially because of the pain I was having, along with other symptoms like pins and needles.
“I couldn’t get hold of anyone to find out when the operation would take place or if I was still on a waiting list.
“I couldn’t stop worrying and I was in a lot of pain. I was desperate to have the implant removed so I contacted a private surgeon and was told it could be done within eight days.”
He said it was “a massive shock” to discover the implant was intact and that he had undergone disruption and surgery “for nothing”.
“The NHS is meant to be the best in the world, which I still believe, but it is being let down by people not taking responsibility and bad management,” he added.
The PHSO recommended that Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust apologize to the woman and put in place an action plan to avoid the mistake happening again.
He also asked the trust to consider paying the woman £8,771 for the “unnecessary surgery and the distress caused”.
According to the PHSO the trust has complied with its recommendations.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, said: “When something goes wrong with the way X-rays, MRIs or other scans are ordered, carried out or reported, it can have significant consequences for patients and their families.
“In this case, a woman became concerned about her health and felt she had no choice but to opt for a private operation. The discovery that the surgery was unnecessary compounded her anxiety and stress.
“Correctly interpreting the scans and following the relevant instructions to carry out the right type of imaging for each condition is vital to ensure that patients receive the care they need.”
A spokesman for Hampshire Hospitals said: “We are very sorry that this patient underwent unnecessary surgery. We have acted on the recommendations of the Parliamentary and Public Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to provide an MRI to definitively establish whether the breast implants have ruptured requiring surgery.’
“Every patient is important at Hampshire Hospitals and we apologize unreservedly for the delay that led to this lady paying a private healthcare provider to carry out an unnecessary operation based solely on NHS scans and ultrasounds. We wouldn’t want that for any of our patients.”
