Couple sue surgeon over failed vasectomy

Discovering she was pregnant after her husband had a vasectomy was devastating, a woman told the High Court at Wellington.

The couple were both aged 24 but already had three children and had decided against having any more.

They are suing the surgeon after the husband's vasectomy failed, seeking damages of about $200,000, including $98,000 for the cost of raising the fourth child.

They have already reached a $20,000 settlement with the hospital involved.

Justice Miller yesterday ordered interim suppression of the names of the couple, the surgeon and the hospital.

In her evidence, the wife said their third child was born in 1997. "We were managing to scrape by, but we had nothing to spare. We couldn't afford a fourth child," she said.

Her other three pregnancies had been difficult and oral contraceptives she had tried gave her mood swings and headaches.

Her husband had a vasectomy in July 1998 and the couple were told in April 1999 that they could have sex without using contraceptives. A few weeks later the woman found she was pregnant.

- NZPA