Patient injured during surgery to have remedial operation

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The Ashburton woman who sustained three injuries as a result of surgery at Grey Base Hospital will have her remedial operation this month.

Jen Branje, 45, who was living in Westport when she had the unsuccessful surgery last year, said three specialist surgeons would operate on her at Christchurch Hospital on November 20.

"I'm confident with them all there, I'll be fixed."

The operation would include removing the tape inserted to hold up her bladder, repairing her bowel and bladder prolapses, making a sling from her body tissue to hold up her bladder, and vaginal repairs.

ACC has agreed to cover three injuries resulting from the Grey Hospital surgery - nerve damage, urinary obstruction and exposure of the ends of the tape. ACC would not cover the prolapses because neither was a new injury.

Mrs Branje said the Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) and her surgeons would assess who would pay for what with her latest surgery.

ACC had said it would only partly fund some home help afterwards, because some of the operation was covered by ACC and some wasn't.

"It's pretty confusing, but I do know that I will need help at home because we live in a bus and I cannot get up and down the stairs well now, let alone after the op," Mrs Branje said.

"We also share communal facilities, laundry etc and I am a wee bit worried about infection."

She and her husband had installed a chemical toilet in the bus following her previous operations, because she couldn't get in and out of the vehicle initially.

"Due to the financial constraints we have been under since all of this started, we haven't been able to afford to finish the bathroom in the bus."

The West Coast District Health Board has refused to comment on her case while it is being investigated by the Health and Disability Commissioner.

Mrs Branje had suffered heavy menstrual bleeding and urinary incontinence for two years before having a hysterectomy and repairs to her bladder and vagina at Grey Hospital in June last year.

She suffered post-operative complications and corrective surgery at Grey Hospital last October was unsuccessful.

- Westport News