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Written by a patient at The Manor Hospital, Oxford
21st May 2019


My goodness I am really shocked to read these other reviews which co-incide with my experience with this doctor, time and again a few years ago. I am still recovering mentally as well as left physically suffering everyday, and now I have seen other doctors wondering how I was led down this path of the life I now lead by Mr Lindsey. I had also a LVMR procedure under this surgeon for a internal rectal prolapse. Then another LVMR procedure shortly after because the first detached. Then I needed a stoma bag because I was left in such pain and so unwell following the first two procedures. I was left with some nightmares and flashbacks following the awful incidences I have experienced during and following the hospital stays for these procedures under Ian Lindsey and his team. It has been incredibly difficult following, and I have been left with some really shabby and very dismissive, denial based aftercare at oxford forcing me to go elsewhere. When seeking care elsewhere I have become abruptly aware of how awful my previous treatment has been, and the true extent of the misleading I have had. My summary of this doctor would be that he can be incredibly charming and patient, he was very very confident in his abilities to help me, and in his mesh surgeries which he told me have fantastic results, he was lighting up about it all and immediately offering me surgery from first meeting. There was no offer of alternative treatment or moderate treatments for my issues - such as pelvic floor physiotherapy/biofeedback or other options not using mesh suggested to me. All concerns or worries from my end we’re swiftly smoothed over with a sense of charm and confidence that really made me feel at ease that there were no risks and this was a simple operation. Following surgery and during horrible complications it was a complete other story - total lack of communication despite myself being a very laid back and not angry person, a lack of desire to help or offer anything. Very quick to palm off - and try to send elsewhere, or on a wild goose chase for help because I got lines such as ‘my hands are tied’ I can’t help you without you paying for this that or the other. When you pay thousands for something and you choose private, you expect a certain level of care, even on NHS. And when that goes wrong soon after you expect to be treated with as much care as you are when being ‘assessed for and recommended surgery’ . I have been under both NHS and private with this surgeon and in both instances he was absent at the times that I would have most required his care . I am now left at a young age unable to walk very far without triggering significant pain in the site of the two implanted meshes, unable to have a sexual relationship with my husband, and with a problematic stoma which has caused me many further operations and admirations to hospital via accident and emergency. I also have significant challenges to pregnancy due to the operations done, adhesions, pelvic infections, and mesh which is not in the correct place and compromising my vagina. My rectum is in such bad way that I cannot have my stoma reversed without mesh removal. So I live in my late 20’s pooing into a bag out of my stomach, which I never was told was a risk of this surgery. Not was I advised that I could end up like this for life, as I was under the impression this could be easily taken out if it didn’t work (so very unlikely!!!) but if tiny tiny chance I stayed the same, and the surgery didn’t benefit me, it could be removed. Well certainly I have not been offered this by oxford and just been left to deal with everything alone. I have since seen 2 other surgeons at other hospitals both whomn have told me that they would never have done the operation to begin with at my age and with my prior symptoms, and that removal is in fact very difficult, dangerous and potentially life threatening as the mesh is implanted so close to very important organs. So that was a blatent mistruth from the start. Of course being so young I would never have taken these risks to have a permanent implant which could cause me to loose my job first, give me worse pain, worse bowel function, loose my sex life entirely, and loose my large bowel. All result in many other surgeries - all of which did not help the original problem but in fact ended up making it worse. Where is the consideration of long term patient welfare. I’m not sure when it comes to this man or this department at oxford - private and NHS I don’t really believe now that I am the exception and just very unfortunate, and that this operation does give such wonderful results reading these other posts. I think that this surgeons confidence and charm cover the true nature of his abilities, and actually show a great lack of care for patient welfare if surgeries have been performed with similar life ruining results prior to mine. I am Writing this only in the hope that it helps someone else to avoid such things. In fact I would rather not think over it as it’s been mentally draining to loose so much these past few years.

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Written by a patient at The John Radcliffe
6th July 2018


I wish to have a say as a patient badly injured after LVMR which was performed without my knowledge of the inclusion of mesh. In fact none of the procedure was explained to me. (Within a month of the op I had to have a sigmoid colectomy which I believe compromised the original LVMR). I found out mesh was used after I was left in severe pain after apparent failure of the op within the year. After EUA I was told the mesh had snapped and I needed repair. Exactly year later underwent an op which I believed to be a repair. Only to be told they couldn’t find half of the mesh. I have now found out they added a different mesh and unbeknown to me when they carried out STARR surgeons also did post colporrhaphy and anterior Sacrocolpopexy. Following these surgeries I suffered increasing pains, everything felt too tight and I suffered constant blockages. Eventually I had an ileostomy and developed parastomal hernia treated with yet more mesh. Finally I had my colon removed where mesh was found stuck to my small bowel. My health has since declined with constant obstruction episodes and regular bleeds through my stoma and the odd abscess and regular bouts of cystitis. The pains are so severe I cannot walk very far and I’m left housebound. All I have had from the surgeon is denial stating low incidence so have no proper help from my GP. Now after years of denial GP has tried to refer me for proper specialist care sending me to the Oxford removal mdt but his colleague won’t consider me for mesh removal. Unless Rectopexy and other mesh complications are recognised I see no future for me getting any proper healthcare as I know I need the UK specialist Sohir (Suzy) Elneil’s team at UCLH but I can’t travel any more. Along the way my notes went missing 3 times is it a coincidence?

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Written by a patient at The Manor Hospital, Oxford
19th January 2018


I underwent a mesh rectopexy with Mr Lindsey privately. The initial consultation was brief and no exam was done, I was just told that my defecating proctogram showed prolapses that would require a mesh rectopexy to fix. The surgery resulted in complications that he failed to pick up, despite my insistence there was something wrong. I struggled to get hold of him when I was in such a dire situation, and at follow-up he still failed to pick up the problems caused by the mesh; he didn't examine me and instead thought I'd just need another mesh surgery, so I was referred to an NHS colleague as he knew I couldn't afford further private surgery. I wasn't advised of complications and potential problems with mesh other than the rare possibility of erosion; I certainly was not aware at that time of the possible problems that many faced with mesh, which now includes myself. I was told it was a safe procedure that he had done countless times be for, the only option for fixing such pelvic floor problems, and that was that. Aside from a drawing of a curve showing mesh, I wasn't told exactly what it was nor what it was made of. I was desperate and he knew that. Once I had paid and had the surgery done, I was handed over to someone else. I suffered complications as an immediate and direct result of the surgery that meant months of agony; I had this partially resolved in a further surgery, but still the rectum failed to function. I am now left with a stoma and no large bowel, the fear of vaginal perforation or erosion now I know the full extent of such possibilities, narrowing of the vagina affecting sex and even the use of tampons, lower back pain and rectal pain. I'm not even 30. I feel I was not given adequate information prior to surgery, nor was I adequately checked before or after the procedure was done. I feel I wasn't adequately supported when I stated how things felt wrong. I have lost a lot of faith in surgeons, and the whole experience for me is still on-going. I need a stoma revision and I'm waiting to see whether mesh removal may be possible. I have complained and asked for changes to be put into place for future patients, though the information booklet and online information appears the same. I feel my situation, and that of others who have or will have this procedure by this surgeon, are not of high priority when it comes to negative outcomes. In addition, despite being told of the negative outcomes (20% of patients simply not benefiting), I later discovered outcomes aren't even properly monitored; there's no definitive record of who haven't benefitted, and, more importantly, those who have suffered complications. I've lost so much from this surgery, which I feel needn't have been the case should adequate advice, care and support have been given.

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