Sub: Medical complaint against Dr Deepak Govil (surgeon), Apollo Hospital (Delhi)
Re: Rajendra P Mittal ( UHID : APD1.1054406 , IP Number: 315704)
I am Rajendra Mittal, resident of Sidharth Extension, New Delhi 110014. I was suffering from functional obstruction in residual sigmoid colon, confirmed by Nuclear Medicine Transit Study and Gastrographin (Administered orally) study. I had previously undergone left hemicolectomy but residual sigmoid colon was still causing functional obstruction and I had to spend 20-25 minutes twice a day, to defecate. Though this was a mild problem, I did not want to live with it for whole life and wanted it to be resected. I had consultation with several colo-rectal surgeons and opinions received were “no surgery justified”, “illeo-rectal anastomosis” and “high anterior resection”. I decided to go for “high anterior resection” on the basis of my experience with the symptoms and test reports.
In this regard I met Dr Deepak Govil, G I Surgeon at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi and discussed my problem with him. He studied all my previous test reports. During the course of reviewing my reports he asked about an illeo-rectal anastomosis recommendation by a surgeon at Royal Melbourne Hospital. I told Dr Govil that I do not want to undergo this radical procedure to get rid of my current symptoms but to suffer worse symptoms post-surgery. Though medically a surgery was not justified in my case it was up to the surgeon to accept or refuse to do the High Anterior Resection. Dr Deepak fully shared my concerns and agreed that there was no need for total colectomy (illeo-rectal anastomosis ). However he said that it’s your risk if the symptoms continues after High Anterior Resection. I fully accepted that risk. He wrote a consensus letter which was signed by Dr Deepak Govil and me on 12 August 2011 ( a copy enclosed). Admission to hospital was planned for 16 August and Surgery for 17 August 2011.
He send me for Barium Enema test which was done at Apollo Hospital on 10 August 2011. Test reported normal colon except moderately dilated colonic segment.
On the day of admission Dr Deepak Govil’s assistant gave me ‘Request for Admission form’ to be taken to Admission Department for admission, on which Dr Govil had changed the procedure name to ‘illeo-rectal anastomosis’. I thought that this was just a casual mistake, I took that form to Dr Govil to correct the name of procedure. He changed the name of procedure on admission form from ‘illeo-rectal anastomosis’ to ‘Anterior Resection’ (a copy of admission form enclosed).
In the evening before day of surgery I was asked to sign formal consent form for ‘Anterior Resection’.
On the day of surgery (17/08/2011) when I was lying un-conscious, Dr Deepak came out of OT in midst of procedure and resorted to un-ethical means to get my relatives’ signatures. He said, “If I do, want Mr Mittal wants, he will continue suffering from current symptom”. My wife told him that “you just cancel the surgery if you cannot do the planned surgery”. He intimidated my relatives saying “If you cancel this surgery now, Mr Mittal would not be fit for any surgery in the future”. There were some more disturbing facts about conversations; during the conversations he told my relatives that the patient would have roughly 8 bowel motions/day after 1 year of surgery- why was he doing a surgery which was increasing my bowel motions to 8/day from 2/say? Did I have cancer? Or just relatives signatures justifies everything?
He told my relatives that the patient may need another surgery (two stage surgery) after few weeks. I want to ask the doctor and hospital, who would have paid another 2 lakh rupees? My relatives? Certainly not – they would not pay even Rs 1000. How can an educated doctor take such extreme decisions on the basis of my relatives signatures, specially when there is no emergency or danger to life of patient. None of my relatives was involved in any of my consultations with this surgeon.
Finally he was successful in getting my ignorant and not-so-concerned relatives’ signatures on a procedure they didn’t know about.
Now he went on a rampage. He took out whole large bowel; resected 40% of rectum and on top of that he joined a 15 cm long J-pouch. This is a surgery which is only considered in serious conditions like Upper rectal cancer, FAP or Colitis, that too only as a last option. I had a healthy rectum, where was the need for any pouch? Even after knowing all the complications associated with illeal pouch, he went ahead with this absurd arrangement.
I compare my condition before and after surgery:
Before Surgery: Bowel motions -2, Bleeding (pouchitis)- never, Normal sex life
After Surgery: Bowel motions -10, Bleeding (pouchitis)- frequent, Retrograde ejaculation, Host of likely future complications
Problems does not end there; he has used pouch sutures which have not dissolved even after 1 year causing sharp pain, restricting my body movement.
Recent report from radiologist: “Extensive anastomotic sutures within the pelvis”.
I have some serious questions to Apollo management:
How can a doctor force a surgery on a patient after repeated and categorical refusal by patient? Is it hospital policy to use these un-ethical means to change the procedure by taking signature from relatives? Are relatives competent to give consent to this kind of radical procedures?
Is it a hospital or a jungle where a doctor can force his wild imagination on a patient? I am in a disabled condition but what’s my fault? I went to largest private hospital in the country expecting a high quality service but instead got a permanent disability; not as a result of negligence or an accident but it was forced on me, knowingly.
Rajendra P Mittal
A relevant clip of an article from The Times of India, January 17, 2008
“The Supreme Court has stated that doctors must seek consent from patients before conducting any procedure additional to the scheduled surgery for which they have received consent. Justices B N Agrawal, P P Naolekar and R V Raveendran stated that only in an emergency, when the life of the patient was in danger without immediate surgery, would the consent of the patient’s relative suffice. In all other cases doctors may not conduct additional surgery until after the patient regained consciousness, was informed of the need for additional surgery, and gave consent”.
Re: Rajendra P Mittal ( UHID : APD1.1054406 , IP Number: 315704)
I am Rajendra Mittal, resident of Sidharth Extension, New Delhi 110014. I was suffering from functional obstruction in residual sigmoid colon, confirmed by Nuclear Medicine Transit Study and Gastrographin (Administered orally) study. I had previously undergone left hemicolectomy but residual sigmoid colon was still causing functional obstruction and I had to spend 20-25 minutes twice a day, to defecate. Though this was a mild problem, I did not want to live with it for whole life and wanted it to be resected. I had consultation with several colo-rectal surgeons and opinions received were “no surgery justified”, “illeo-rectal anastomosis” and “high anterior resection”. I decided to go for “high anterior resection” on the basis of my experience with the symptoms and test reports.
In this regard I met Dr Deepak Govil, G I Surgeon at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi and discussed my problem with him. He studied all my previous test reports. During the course of reviewing my reports he asked about an illeo-rectal anastomosis recommendation by a surgeon at Royal Melbourne Hospital. I told Dr Govil that I do not want to undergo this radical procedure to get rid of my current symptoms but to suffer worse symptoms post-surgery. Though medically a surgery was not justified in my case it was up to the surgeon to accept or refuse to do the High Anterior Resection. Dr Deepak fully shared my concerns and agreed that there was no need for total colectomy (illeo-rectal anastomosis ). However he said that it’s your risk if the symptoms continues after High Anterior Resection. I fully accepted that risk. He wrote a consensus letter which was signed by Dr Deepak Govil and me on 12 August 2011 ( a copy enclosed). Admission to hospital was planned for 16 August and Surgery for 17 August 2011.
He send me for Barium Enema test which was done at Apollo Hospital on 10 August 2011. Test reported normal colon except moderately dilated colonic segment.
On the day of admission Dr Deepak Govil’s assistant gave me ‘Request for Admission form’ to be taken to Admission Department for admission, on which Dr Govil had changed the procedure name to ‘illeo-rectal anastomosis’. I thought that this was just a casual mistake, I took that form to Dr Govil to correct the name of procedure. He changed the name of procedure on admission form from ‘illeo-rectal anastomosis’ to ‘Anterior Resection’ (a copy of admission form enclosed).
In the evening before day of surgery I was asked to sign formal consent form for ‘Anterior Resection’.
On the day of surgery (17/08/2011) when I was lying un-conscious, Dr Deepak came out of OT in midst of procedure and resorted to un-ethical means to get my relatives’ signatures. He said, “If I do, want Mr Mittal wants, he will continue suffering from current symptom”. My wife told him that “you just cancel the surgery if you cannot do the planned surgery”. He intimidated my relatives saying “If you cancel this surgery now, Mr Mittal would not be fit for any surgery in the future”. There were some more disturbing facts about conversations; during the conversations he told my relatives that the patient would have roughly 8 bowel motions/day after 1 year of surgery- why was he doing a surgery which was increasing my bowel motions to 8/day from 2/say? Did I have cancer? Or just relatives signatures justifies everything?
He told my relatives that the patient may need another surgery (two stage surgery) after few weeks. I want to ask the doctor and hospital, who would have paid another 2 lakh rupees? My relatives? Certainly not – they would not pay even Rs 1000. How can an educated doctor take such extreme decisions on the basis of my relatives signatures, specially when there is no emergency or danger to life of patient. None of my relatives was involved in any of my consultations with this surgeon.
Finally he was successful in getting my ignorant and not-so-concerned relatives’ signatures on a procedure they didn’t know about.
Now he went on a rampage. He took out whole large bowel; resected 40% of rectum and on top of that he joined a 15 cm long J-pouch. This is a surgery which is only considered in serious conditions like Upper rectal cancer, FAP or Colitis, that too only as a last option. I had a healthy rectum, where was the need for any pouch? Even after knowing all the complications associated with illeal pouch, he went ahead with this absurd arrangement.
I compare my condition before and after surgery:
Before Surgery: Bowel motions -2, Bleeding (pouchitis)- never, Normal sex life
After Surgery: Bowel motions -10, Bleeding (pouchitis)- frequent, Retrograde ejaculation, Host of likely future complications
Problems does not end there; he has used pouch sutures which have not dissolved even after 1 year causing sharp pain, restricting my body movement.
Recent report from radiologist: “Extensive anastomotic sutures within the pelvis”.
I have some serious questions to Apollo management:
How can a doctor force a surgery on a patient after repeated and categorical refusal by patient? Is it hospital policy to use these un-ethical means to change the procedure by taking signature from relatives? Are relatives competent to give consent to this kind of radical procedures?
Is it a hospital or a jungle where a doctor can force his wild imagination on a patient? I am in a disabled condition but what’s my fault? I went to largest private hospital in the country expecting a high quality service but instead got a permanent disability; not as a result of negligence or an accident but it was forced on me, knowingly.
Rajendra P Mittal
A relevant clip of an article from The Times of India, January 17, 2008
“The Supreme Court has stated that doctors must seek consent from patients before conducting any procedure additional to the scheduled surgery for which they have received consent. Justices B N Agrawal, P P Naolekar and R V Raveendran stated that only in an emergency, when the life of the patient was in danger without immediate surgery, would the consent of the patient’s relative suffice. In all other cases doctors may not conduct additional surgery until after the patient regained consciousness, was informed of the need for additional surgery, and gave consent”.
Attachments
-
295.1 KB Views: 16,611
-
405.5 KB Views: 4,427