Miss Asha Sharma 2016-11-16 Person 1 5 0

Miss Sharma dismissed my concerns about abdominal pain 15 months after having sepsis for 9 days following an emergency caesarean. She was irritated with me, dismissing my symptoms, stating they were not possible and unheard of. She said that adhesions do not cause pelvic pain. She was adamant that I had IBS and advised me to cut out wheat / gluten and dairy. I had been wheat / gluten and dairy free for 3 years at this point. She bluntly told me that having a laparoscopy was more risky than having a caesarean, and told me I would be in more pain than I am now. On asking for a second opinion by another consultant at Broomfield Hospital, I was referred for a laparoscopy / keyhole surgery to look for any causes of pain. The surgery was performed by Miss Sharma who found that not only did I have thick ommental adhesions, but my uterus was now 'plastered' to my abdominal wall. In my follow-up consultation with Miss Sharma she told me she had never seen this before, and she felt that due to significant blood loss, it was inoperable. She couldnt tell me if there were risks of pregnancy. She then recommended a hysterectomy at my age of 34 if the pain was too bad to live with. In my second follow-up consultation 5 weeks later with Miss Sharma, she told me she had discussed this with colleagues, and she recommended I go ahead with a pregnancy (despite telling me the risks were "unknown"), and afterwards have a full hysterectomy. I was completely shocked and devastated. DESPITE her own laparoscopic findings, she insisted that my pain was still down to IBS, and that I should think about changing my diet). She said that adhesions NEVER cause pelvic pain, and that she HAD seen this before. (A complete u-turn on her previous advice five weeks earlier). Luckily, I (again) found another consultant for another second opinion via private healthcare, and he told me that pelvic pain in women who have had abdominal surgery is found to be adhesions in 70%-80% of women. He discussed the physiological details of my condition with me, and explained the risks and options available to me. He was honest with me in that my next pregnancy may be painful due to the adhesions, but not risky. He listened to my fears and explained everything to me in a kind and compassionate manner. He recommended that the adhesions be separated during caesarean. He went on to say that if I did not intend to have more children, and could not live with the pain, it can be operated on via open surgery. He was genuinely shocked that a hysterectomy was suggested to me on two occasions for this condition. If I had not got a second opinion on TWO OCCASIONS after Miss Sharma's advice, my health and recovery would completely different and totally misguided. I would have continued to suffer with abdominal pain because she made me feel like a time waster, suffering from IBS, and in the worst case, ended up having a hysterectomy at 34 years old. I would not recommend Miss Sharma based on these two experiences of her.