DHB apologises over botched cervical surgery

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A school teacher and breast cancer survivor who had surgery to remove her cervix four years ago has complained to the Health and Disability Commissioner after finding last year that part of it was still there.

The West Coast District Health Board this week apologised in writing to Greymouth resident Bernie Hines, and says the doctor who performed her initial surgery at Grey Base Hospital was "mistaken in his belief that your cervix was removed in its entirety".

Mrs Hines has now joined forces with another Grey Hospital medical misadventure victim - internal burns victim Jo Partridge - and is offering a new support and advocacy service.

Both women were treated by the same obstetrician-gynaecologist.

Four years ago, Mrs Hines had a routine hysterectomy at Greymouth. Paperwork shows the cervix was sent to Christchurch, and even records its size. A post-surgical follow- up did not include an internal examination, Mrs Hines said.

Mid-last year she again suffered gynaecological problems. While getting radiation for breast cancer, they got worse and medical records state a "high suspicion of cancer".

This year she had her first smear test in four years. Her specialist's medical records show he was trying to identify a gynaecological "mass".

"This has been a very traumatic experience; [the doctor] kept referring to a mass, as did the radiographer. I thought I had cancer again."

Mrs Hines turned up for a July appointment, and found it was a different specialist, Dr Steven Roth.

After considering her symptoms, Dr Roth said he believed her cervix was still intact, and after an internal examination he also saw the cervix.

Medical notes state it was "obvious the cervix was not removed".

In September, she had surgery to remove the cervix, or what was left. Just days before that last operation, Mrs Hines - who by then had complained to the commissioner - was called to see the hospital's head of obstetrics and gynaecology, Dr Vicki Robertson, who was less convinced there was a full cervix.

Since the surgery Mrs Hines said she had been feeling better, and her breast cancer was in remission.

DHB programme director Mark Newsome said in his letter of apology that the initial surgeon had been "misled" by the original pathology report, which did not suggest part of the cervix might still be in place.

He said there was a "high degree of certainty" the first cervix removed was hers, and not someone else's, but DNA testing was being conducted to be sure. "I apologise for the distress that this has caused and wish to apologise to you on behalf of West Coast DHB," Mr Newsome said.

The board's response to the commissioner says the first sample of the cervix was compromised and was received in multiple parts. But the original report did not explicitly state that not all the cervix was present.

Mr Newsome said in summary, part of the cervix was not removed and the surgeon had been mistaken in his belief it had been. That surgeon had since resigned from the West Coast DHB.

Mrs Hines received the DHB's report only this week. She and Mrs Partridge have set up a website, mawestcoastnz.wordpress.com, to offer support to other patients.