In the spring, the patient would be operated on for narrowing of the cervical spine that affected the patient's gait and motor skills in the upper body.
At the end of the operation, a vertebral implant came loose and was pressed against the spinal cord.
The mistake was discovered immediately and action was taken, but by then there had already been a permanent damage to the spinal cord.
"Small margins"
After the operation, the patient suffered from permanent paralysis in the torso and downwards.
- This type of operation is associated with risks in that we operate in an area with small maginals.
Therefore, it happens that injuries are caused that are not due to negligence, but due to anatomical circumstances, says Sofie Jacobsson, chief physician in the Västerbotten Region who reported the incident to IVO.
Had the right skills
The region itself has investigated the incident and concluded that the person who carried out the operation had the right skills and that it was an accident.
- What emerged was that it could have been done differently at the level of detail, but it had still not been 100 percent certain that the incident could have been avoided.
But it is extremely unfortunate that it happened and tragic for the patient, says Sofie Jacobsson.