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Woman plagued with pain killed herself after titanium screw is left in her ankle after surgery (14 April 2014)

Date: 14/04/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Woman plagued with pain killed herself after titanium screw is left in her ankle after surgery

A coroner has been handed a metal screw found in the ashes of a woman who killed herself because of unbearable pain she attributed to a surgical pin left in her ankle.

Carole Denby, 63, had broken her ankle while out walking eight years earlier and insisted that the residual pain she felt after surgeons removed pins from her ankle was because a metal pin had been left in her.

She was treated at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea and surgeons operated a second time and reassured Mrs Denby that all the metal screws used to pin her ankle had been removed.

After her death, Mrs Denby’s husband Howard, 57, was handed her ashes and a 2-inch metal screw found among them after her cremation.

Mr Denby said that the presence of the metal screw among his wife’s ashes proved that she had been correct about surgeons having left the pin inside her ankle at the time they operated on her.

She had reacted badly to the screws inserted to repair her broken ankle and had blamed surgeons for leaving the titanium screw in place when her ankle had healed.

The deterioration in her health and subsequent pain caused Mrs Denby to take a suspected overdose of prescription pills, the Daily Mail reports.

Mr Denby has now handed the screw given to him with his wife’s ashes to the Carmarthenshire coroner. who is preparing a report on Mrs Denby’s death.

“Being given the screw after her cremation was devastating,” said Mr Denby.

“It means she was right all along and all her misery was ignored. It broke my heart to see her fears and pain dismissed.

“Now I am planning to present the screw as evidence at the inquest into Carole’s death,” he added.

Mr Denby ? from Llanelli in Camarthenshire ? believes that the couple were “lied to” over the presence of the screw.

He says his wife constantly suffered from blood infections and swelling in her left ankle ? and went from being a “vivacious professional woman” to “a shell of her former self”.

Mr Denby added:

“The health board repeatedly denied any screws had been left behind ? and did everything to avoid looking for them.

“But that is why Carole did what she did,” he added.

“She felt that her quality of life would never get any better if the doctors couldn’t find the screw that she was sure still remained in her leg.”

The trust responsible for the Morriston Hospital ? Hywel Dda University Health Board ? said that a review was being conducted to assess the level of care Mrs Denby received. A spokesman for the trust said:

“We offer our condolences to Mr Denby and the health board will fully cooperate with the coroner.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Lawyers

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of personal injury lawyers and can advise on how to make a no win no fee claim for medical negligence or surgical error.

Medical negligence claims can also involve compensation for Fatal Injuries which result from negligent care.

Claimants wishing to make a no win no fee medical negligence claim have three years in which to make a claim.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee medical negligence claims, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

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