If your anal injury following the birth of your child is not repairing well, it may be that your diagnosis or repair were inadequate. It might be appropriate to make a claim for compensation for the continuing damage.
Looking after your wound
If you suffered a 3rd or 4th degree tear during the birth of your baby, you should have received a surgical repair.
In order to try to ensure the best outcome of your repair and the quickest repair time, it is important that you look after your repair carefully. The following routines are recommended for good wound care:
- Ensure that the area of the injury is kept clean
- If you are using sanitary wear, make sure that it is changed regularly to avoid infection
- Drink plenty of fluids
- If you have been given medication or laxatives, follow the guidelines in order to relive pain and ease the passing of faeces through the bowel as your injury repairs
- Avoid smoking and eat healthily to help the wound repair and the body recover
Facilitating A Good Recovery
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Guidelines on the Management of Perineal Tears notes that 60% to 80% of women who have undergone a surgical repair for perineal trauma recovery fully within 12 months.
For the woman to make a good recovery, a number of important factors need to be in place:
- The injury must be diagnosed accurately in the first place
- The repair must be carried out by a skilled surgeon
- The injury must be fully repaired using the correct techniques and materials
Failure of a repair
If your repair has not been adequate, you may start to experience some of the following symptoms:
- Pain around the perineum
- Infections of the perineum which may cause the area to smell
- Leakage of wind from the anus or possibly from the vagina
- Leakage of faeces from the anus or vagina
This may suggest that the wound was not fully repaired or that the repair was incompetent in some way and has started to break down, compromising the functioning of the bowel. It is possible that you have developed a fistula between the anus and the vagina, allowing leakage from the bowel via the vagina.
Medical negligence
If you are continuing to experience the appalling symptoms of a 3rd or 4th degree tear despite having undergone a repair, it may be that your repair was negligent.
Contact us to discuss your situation and the possibility of making a compensation claim with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
Make A Free Enquiry
If you, or your family member, has suffered a birth injury tear, please call us now for free, no obligation advice on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile click to call 01275 334030) or complete our Free Online Enquiry.