Botched op baby's 'cancer risk'

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An 18-month-old girl whose bladder was mistakenly removed by a surgeon is at risk of cancer because of the botched operation, her mother has said.

Baby A will be prone to cancer because of further surgery she faces to repair the problem, a General Medical Council (GMC) panel in Manchester was told.

Surgeon Pierina Kapur, 43, was supposed to take out a hernial sac but instead removed 90% of her bladder.

Miss Kapur admits her work was below standard but denies misconduct.

She will never have a normal anatomy Miss B, Baby A's mother

On Wednesday, she apologised through her barrister to the child's mother for the "distress".

Asked about the girl's future, the mother - known as Miss B - said: "She will always have to use a catheter to pass urine. She will never have a normal anatomy.

"She is going to have a lot of surgery in the future and will need to be monitored for infections. There are cancer risks with the surgery.

The GMC Fitness to Practise panel was told that Baby A was seven weeks old when she was admitted to hospital in Manchester with a hernia problem on 2 October 2008.

She needed surgery on both sides of her stomach, with an ovary embedded on her left side - the side on which Miss Kapur operated.

The mother told the hearing that the surgeon was "very confident" the procedure was a "complete success".

Surgeon's apology

But Miss B said that her daughter became "distraught" and tearful when she returned to the ward and "went downhill" later.

Baby A had still not passed water by the following morning but when Miss B - whose partner is a doctor - asked for blood tests Miss Kapur said they were "unnecessary".

Her partner's request for an ultrasound scan was also turned down, Miss B said.

Blood tests were finally taken after her rash spread and later a scan, which failed to identify a full bladder.

Miss B said: "I was told they could not see a full bladder but they could see urine in her ureters and that her kidneys were inflamed and blown up.

"It was suggested she had kidney failure."

She does apologise for what is a very serious injury to your daughter David Balcombe QCCounsel for Pierina Kapur

Baby A then underwent further surgery to unblock her ureters - tubes which propel urine from the kidney to the bladder - which took nine hours.

David Balcombe QC, for Miss Kapur, told Miss B: "Miss Kapur apologises to you and your partner.

"She does apologise for what is a very serious injury to your daughter. She apologises for the distress not only caused to her, but you and your partner."

Miss B denied she was mistaken in recollecting that she made repeated requests for blood tests and that Miss Kapur told her it was unnecessary.

Miss Kapur has conceded the operation caused damage to both ureters and had severed the left ureter from the bladder.

She denies that following the operation she did not take steps to arrange for an ultrasound scan of Baby A's abdomen and urinary tract and blood tests.

The hearing in Manchester continues.