Patient with ectopic pregnancy lost her only fallopian tube

What happened

Mrs G had a known history of ectopic pregnancy. She began bleeding seven weeks into her pregnancy and went to A&E. The Trust felt that she should be treated conservatively (as some ectopic pregnancies, particularly if they are small, will die and be absorbed into the body). Staff did not discuss other options, such as medication and surgery, with Mrs G. She returned two days later and needed emergency surgery. Her remaining fallopian tube was removed, leaving her unable to conceive naturally. Mrs G said that, had she had the choice, she would have opted for medical intervention.

What we found

The Trust failed to discuss all available options with Mrs G and she was therefore unable to make an informed decision about her treatment. If Mrs G had been offered her preferred treatment option of medical intervention, she would have had a 90% chance of avoiding surgery and therefore keeping her last fallopian tube. We could not say that Mrs G would have gone on to successfully conceive naturally because it is possible that the ectopic pregnancy would have damaged her tube; or that she would have gone on to have another ectopic pregnancy. However, if a tube had still been in place, she would have had an opportunity for natural conception, which she no longer has. Mrs G had to cope with the distress of knowing that the outcome could have been different if she had been given a choice of treatment.

Putting it right

In recognition of the distress Mrs G suffered, we recommended that the Trust provide her with an open and honest acknowledgement and apology. We also recommended that the Trust pay Mrs G £5,000 compensation and produce an action plan to avoid something similar happening again.