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Dr David Fox 2018-05-17 Person 5 5 0

Talking more to the patient during the procedure. I was in quite a lot of pain in my collar bone/neck area during the ablation and after and it took me 20 mins to attract someone’s attention to say it was very painful before I was given pain relief. I did not feel the effects of sedation and can recall all the conversations going on around me. Doctor/procedure was good in the main but the after care once back on the ward in recovery was terrible! I was told I would be having the suction clamp removed off my femoral artery gradually over 1 hour post procedure then I would be allowed to gradually sit up over the next couple of hours. 3 1/2 hours post procedure I was still completely flat on my back, which was painful by then, with the clamp still fully on. 4 hours after the procedure (after me buzzing a nurse) the suction on the clamp was removed at once. I was told by the nurse she would be back in 5 mins to fully remove the clamp but then I was left another 40 mins, still flat on my back 7 hours after the procedure had started that morning. I had to buzz again and another nurse removed the clamp but discovered I had been bleeding for 40 mins from the artery. When the clamp was removed, from my position lying flat, I saw blood shoot up in the air from my leg. The nurse had to pack my leg and press with some force to stop it bleeding. A further 30 mins later I was told I could just get up and get dressed to go home. By this point I was desperate to use the bathroom. I was offered no assistance and went straight from lying completely flat on my back for 8 hours to standing. when I did stand I was very dizzy, felt light headed and sick. I made my own way to the bathroom as I was offered no help and I was literally zig zagging down the corridor from wall to wall because I felt so dizzy, As I walked past the nurses station, one of the nurses said to the other ‘what is up with her?’, the other replied ‘it’s ok she has just got up’. There was no offer of assistance or to check if I was Ok despite the fact I had just been left bleeding in the bed for 40 mins then told to get straight up. Terrible, terrible experience. I was very badly bruised around the incision site on my leg for 7 weeks after the procedure and it was 4 weeks until I could bear to drive but quite a lot more until it was no longer painful driving. I was disgusted with the lack of care I received on the ward after the procedure. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had! All that being said, I am very grateful to Dr Fox as the procedure has given me my quality of life back again as now I am medication free and without the abnormal rythmns. It is just a shame about everything else I experienced which was absolutely awful!