A Tauranga woman says she almost died after a complication from a C-section caused her bowel to rupture, which has sparked the Bay of Plenty DHB to put the incident under review.
Nicole Kildare said she gave birth via C-section to a son in Tauranga Hospital on December 22, however the next day she felt pain in her abdomen area, while at the same time her stomach began to expand.
Ms Kildare was given pain relief, but did not receive treatment despite medical staff writing she required intervention in her medical notes.
She had acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, also known as Ogilvie syndrome, which is a rare condition that can cause the bowel to be obstructed.
If not treated it can cause the bowel to rupture.
However, Ms Kildare's expanded bowel was not picked up until Boxing Day, after her skin reportedly went grey on Christmas Day.
"I didn't get discharged from hospital and that was the basis of my complaint. I got sicker and sicker while I was sitting on a maternity ward," Ms Kildare told 1 NEWS.
"Yes absolutely (I was told it could have been fatal)
"I was in the beginning of sepsis, I had massive infection and part of my bowel had started to die, they had to remove quite a bit of bowel because it was dead already."
"I didn’t know how serious my condition was until I was in ICU after my emergency laparotomie.
"Prior to that everyone had told me I was basically constipated."
Ms Kildare and husband Jeff made a complaint to the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, as they did not want the same situation happening to anyone else.
The BOPDHB reportedly apologised in March, and today 1 NEWS was sent comment by Patient Quality and Safety Manager Debbie Brown, that the DHB acknowledged Ms Kildare "had a particularly traumatic experience when she had her baby".
"It is very unfortunate for any new mother to have this type of experience at a time which should be one of excitement and joy."
Ms Brown said the DHB has met with the family and have apologised.
They have put the case under review by both the BOPDHB and the Health and Disability Commission, and are working with Ms Kildare and her family to "understand the course of events".
"We are committed to implementing any recommendations which come out of the review. We take all complaints and concerns very seriously, and where we have opportunities to improve and lessons to learn, we always act on these to ensure improved care in the future."
Ms Kildare has got an ACC advocate on board with her case, but has as yet received no compensation.
"We've heard nothing from them except a phone call to say they have now accepted my claim," Ms Kildare said.
Ms Kildare has just been signed off work for a further six weeks, and says her GP informed her it coule be upto two years before she is able to work full time.
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