'Doctors removed my ovaries without consent'.(Author: By Jacqueline Theodoulou) A WOMANAahas complained filed a formal complaint against Famagusta General HospitalAaafter doctors removed her ovaries Ovaries The female sex organs that make eggs and female hormones. Mentioned in: Choriocarcinoma ovaries (ō´v without consent during an operation on her fallopian tubes Fallopian tubes The narrow ducts leading from a woman's ovaries to the uterus. After an egg is released from the ovary during ovulation, fertilization (the union of sperm and egg) normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. . She only discovered what had happened one month after the operation when she queried why her period appeared to have stopped. The 37-year old had been planning to try and become pregnant through IVF IVF in vitro fertilization. IVF abbr. in vitro fertilization IVF 1 In vitro fertilization, see there 2. Intravascular fluid but now stand no chance of ever giving birth. Ombudswoman om·buds·wom·an n. A woman who investigates complaints and mediates fair especially settlements between aggrieved parties such as consumers or students and an institution or organization. Iliana NicolaouAawrote to the Health Ministry requesting an investigation; whether the ministry decides to do so, still remains a mystery as attempts by theAaCyprus MailAato contact someone in charge of the matter yesterday hit a brick wall.AaAccording toAaPhileleftherosAanewspaper yesterday, the Health Ministry has said it will look into the matter and decide whether to investigate or not. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the complaint, in April 2008, Elena (not her real name) submitted a complaint to the Ombudswoman regarding surgery she underwent at Famagusta Hospital to remove her fallopian tubes. "During the operation, however, apart from her fallopian tubes, her two ovaries were also removed, without her being informed beforehand and without [doctors] seeking her consent," said Nicolaou's report. Making matters worse, Elena only found this out more than a month after the operation when she visited her doctors to find out why she hadn't been getting her periods. "In the framework of investigating the compliant, I requested comments and views from the Health Ministry's Permanent Secretary, who instead of offering a response, forwarded me a copy of a letter sent by the head of Famagusta General Hospital's Gynaecology Clinic," Nicolaou said. In his letter, the doctor in question - who cannot be named for legal reasons -- said Elena had sought advice on why she couldn't get pregnant. She showed her gynaecologist test results that indicated her fallopian tubes were infected in·fect tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects 1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent. 2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to. 3. To invade and produce infection in. . Her doctor recommended she have her tubes removed, as a means of increasing her chances of getting pregnant with IVF. The necessary tests were carried out and Elena was operated on in April 2008, in the presence of two doctors. "Needless for me to say, the plaintiff signed her consent to the operation, which among others says 'furthermore, I consent to any further alternative surgical measures that may be necessary during the aforementioned a·fore·men·tioned adj. Mentioned previously. n. The one or ones mentioned previously. aforementioned Adjective mentioned before Adj. 1. surgery/operation'", the doctor added. During the operation, the doctors found that the infection had led to Elena's ovaries fusing In electrophotography, making the toner adhere permanently to the paper. Heat fusing melts the toner, which is pressed into the paper. Cold fusing presses the toner into the paper without applying any heat. Flash fusing melts the toner with light, and no heat or pressure is used. with her fallopian tubes, making it impossible to separate them. "It was decided that it was in the best interests of the patient to remove both tubes, as well as a large part of both her ovaries," said the doctor. This, he said, was a common thing. "The post-surgery period ran smoothly and the plaintiff was discharged [a week later]". In his comments, the doctor states: "It was not possible to request the plaintiff's opinion on the matter during the operation as she was under anaesthetic an·aes·thet·ic adv. & n. Variant of anesthetic. anaesthetic or US anesthetic Noun a substance that causes anaesthesia Adjective causing anaesthesia ". He also claimed Elena had not been informed on the outcome of her operation straight away as they had been awaiting the results of her lab tests, which usually took around 40 days to come out. But the Ombudswoman's investigation showed that the test results were actually out "just five days after the date [Elena] was discharged from the hospital". Nicolaou said the form Elena had signed did indeed include that the doctors could carry out "any further alternative surgical measures" if deemed necessary. However, Elena's form hadn't been signed by the pathologist, to show she had been properly warned about all possibilities that may have arisen -- as is his legal obligation. The letter sent by the hospital to the ministry, however, was signed by the pathologist and dated back to the day Elena's surgery. Nicolaou, in her conclusions also touched on the post-op effects on Elena such as premature menopause Premature Menopause Definition The average age at which American women go through menopause is 51 years. If menopause (hormonal changes at the end of the female reproductive years) occurs before age 40, it is said to be premature menopause. , hormone replacement therapy Hormone Replacement Therapy Definition Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body. , and emotional support, none of which the patient had been offered. "I can't help but comment on the fact that the Health Ministry effectively failed to offer its position on [Elena's] serious complaints, even though I had requested it in writing," said Nicolaou in her conclusions. She called on the ministry to launch an immediate investigation. Copyright Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail is a Cypriot English-language newspaper. It is published daily (except Mondays) and a number of articles are available online. Its current chief editor is Kosta Pavlowitch. The managing director is Kyriakos Iacovides. 2009 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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