My husbands fatal AAA

I am so sorry Debbie to hear of your loss and I think the hospital are negligent to not monitor the AAA!

I have the same and I am monitored every year or 6 months and mine is small but at least they keep a check on it for all intents and purposes anyway!

The hospital that is local to me wanted to operate on mine because I also have hardening of the arteries and I am only 64 (so young they said) but I got a second opinion from another hospital in Kent and the vascular surgeon doesn't even have to use the scanner because I am very tiny and the AAA can be felt even by me! He said he "Could" try and make my leg behave properly and he has operated on tiny ones but I refused point blank because I could die on the table and I would suffer the leg pain rather than opt for the surgery.The aneurysm is the cause of the leg problem but I can cope.

I would be livid if I was left or ignored regarding this "Time Bomb" and I would persue the neglect through the courts if I were you.

Your husband should have been monitored all the way through and I know for a fact I don't think about the AAA  often but I know it's there deep down  

I am fortunate enough to still be here,unlike your Dear Husband,but please persue a negligence claim on the Hospital that failed him and you.

Good luck Debbie..I hope this helps you a little xx

So sorry to hear of your sad loss.

How big was your husbands aneurysm five years ago. Normally they do a scan every year or six months depending on its size. His must have been very big if they advised surgery so long ago. It usually has to be over 5cm before they consider surgery on the basis that it has to be more dangerous to leave it rather than to operate.

I am very sorry for your loss - Doesn't sound right about checks  - I was being monitered once a year - I was admitted to hospital with salmonela which became blood poisoning (Salmonela Sepsis) I told them about my aorta aunurism but it was over a week before they did an ultrasound.  When they did the measurement was 5.3 cm. This was on a Friday morning, I had complained about severe abdomen pains when I was standing -- it was like a squewer being shoved through from one hip to the other.  On the Monday I collapsed but they said the next two hours were to stabalise me when clearly my blood pressure indicated I was bleeding.  Blood poisoning is know to weaken the walls of viens and arteries.   Two hours in I was recorded as having no recordable blood pressure and a weak pulse. Despite the knowledge of the size of the aenurism, the effect of blood poisoning and my weak pulse together with no blood pressure they operated for explorotary reasons.   I am sueing them for negligence.  In your husbands case the recorded size of the aenurysm would dictate future checks and frequency of checks.   Have the records checked?

I would hand it all to the no win no fee - ok they take a percentage if you win but one of the first things they do is have the records examined by an expert.   I was having a go at one hospital that sent me home but when an expert looked at the records she found a huge gap between me collapsing and being taken to be operated on!  It is almost at the point when court papers are to be served which is the point at which negotiations to settle start happening.

 

Hi all

can I please just say how grateful I am for all of your wonderful replies

i was amazed when I checked my mails this morning and so very grateful

in answer to a couple of questions I'm pretty sure that when the aneurysm was first diagnosed it was 5.2 or 5.3 which, when I look online is a large one that needs regular check ups 

I do think my husband didn't follow up himself as he was scared and he always changed the subject when I mentioned it but I don't think he would have ignored an appointment from the hospital and I don't think he would have kept it from me which leads me to believe he 'got lost' in the system.

the weird thing about it is that he also had a knee replacement 18 months ago and although we told the surgeon no one seemed to be worried about it and no one asked any questions

when we first went to the GP about his knee he mentioned something about the readings not being right then skirted over it as though he was trying to hide something, so we thought that they must have got it wrong all that time ago, but something just isn't right.

when he collapsed and I got the paramedics out it was the first thing I told them about but the emergency doc didn't seem to know about it when she told me he had gone as she asked me a lot our questions about it.

i don't want to sound like one of those freeloaders but I honestly think I've got a case although at the beginning it didn't cross my mind, all I was going to do was ask the GP to check on the ultrasounds appointments just for my own peace of mind, I just wanted some answers, but I have to be selfish as I'm on my own now and lost my soul mate and my best friend

i can't find anything specifically the same as my case but similar so wanted to know if anyone had been in a similar situation and if anything came of it?

thanks again to everyone who replied, I was so touched you took the time to help me

good luck to everyone 

If it was that big my consultant acting on our behalf considered 5.3 cm something that should/would be scheduled for a repair operation.  With me the fact that I was already in hospital was what saved me but those that rupture at home or work the survival rate is not good.   Did your husband have any other conditions, high blood pressure or periferal arterial disease?  Both these may have influenced any decision to operate or not.  My family were told people in my condition don't usually survive.  That changed to if I did survive I would probably be severely brain damaged.  My wife died from a aunurysm in her brain.  She was in hospital because of a hemhorrage - they kept her blood pressure higher than normal and I am convinced thats what caused the brain aunurysm. Best wishes.  

Hi debbie, I am sooo sorry to hear about your husband, my heart just breaks for you.  Every time I hear something like this my body cringes.  I have 2 aortic anuerisms, one thorasic and one abdominal.  I lost my coverage when I turned 65, still waiting for SSi to kick in.  It's six months now and I'm terrified.  I think I am going to the hospital as a charity case.  My lawyer said I  can do that. I'm not waiting any longer, hearing too many bad things.   God Bless You and stay strong!!

Unfortunately I know all to well about this, my mom was diagnosed on 6/12/16 and passed less than 8 hours later because the doctor did not do her surgery soon enough. I blame the hospital and the surgeon for my mothers death. Like everyone else has said they should of been watching your husbands. To everyone that has this condition, make sure roger this surgery ASAP

Yes, I am in the process of a legal dispute because of a 2 hr delay from when I collapsed (I was in hospital with salmonela sepsis) - our expert a Professor in Vascular says they knew I was high risk sepsis weakens the walls of arteries.  Our expert says all the information was avaiable for immediate surgery 15/20 minutes tops.   My ultra sound in February was 4cm - in august while I was in hospital it was 5.3 cms - 5 to 5.5 cms is thought to be "critical".   I am using the no win no fee and willsoon be going into court.   Find out the size they recorded for the Aneurysm.  hen get legal advice.

iam so sorry to hear that.