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Who can I contact? Insertion of coil wrong.

9 replies

UnluckyCoil · 08/11/2022 13:07

So after a horrific few months of my coil being inserted, lots of pain and bleeding I’ve finally had the thing removed. It was fobbed off many times as just my body adjusting to new contraception.
I had a hysteroscopy today and turns out it was inserted wrong and it was upside down and digging into my womb the entire time.
Who can I contact to make the person aware who fitted it to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else? Would it be PALS?

Who can I contact? Insertion of coil wrong.
OP posts:
Skinnermarink · 08/11/2022 13:12

Who inserted it- the GP?

This happened to me, was in pain for a year before I managed to get them to agree to remove it. I did complain- but they pulled ranks at the GP surgery and basically said there had to be some margin for error, and that it could have twisted by itself. I went into cervical shock and fainted when they inserted (a nurse did it with GP present) and I believe they knew it hadn’t been inserted correctly.

Definitely take it further, I just want you to know that unfortunately, nothing might come of it.

LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 08/11/2022 13:13

Send a letter to the manager of the centre where it was inserted (whether that’s practice manager at a GP surgery or unit manager of sexual health clinic). Explain to them exactly what you’ve said here - that, after months of pain and problems following the insertion, an invasive investigative procedure has revealed the coil was inserted incorrectly and placed upside down. That you wish for the member of staff who performed the insertion to be informed and, if possible receive additional training to prevent this happening to another patient of theirs.

BobbyBobbyBobby · 08/11/2022 13:15

That is horrendous. years ago I had a consultant harass me to have a Mirena Coil fitted and I refused and pointed out that his own, his stationary and the posters on his wall were all sponsored by Mirena and I would not fall for it.

I’m so glad I never had it. I didn’t actually need it, I was there for something else!

Hope you make a formal complaint.

Interested in this thread?

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UnluckyCoil · 08/11/2022 13:18

It was inserted at the end of July but a doctor in the family planning clinic.
I went for it as I didn’t want hormonal contraception and that was the only choice, but it seems like coils are always suggested but it’s just been awful.

OP posts:
ReedRite · 08/11/2022 13:22

They get promoted like they’re the second coming.

They do work well for some, but they’re not the wonderful panacea they’re sold as and a significant number of women find they don’t suit them at all. And then some of them are denied their right to bodily autonomy by being refused removal or fobbed off for months on end.

I’m so sorry you went through this OP. Please do complain to the practice manager and ask that the person concerned be retrained. I hope you heal nicely now it’s been removed.

itsalwayscycling · 08/11/2022 14:17

Hi, sorry you've had such a rough time. I'm a GP who fits coils (day off today - should really be doing my appraisal paperwork which is why I'm on MN instead!)

I honestly think you've been really unlucky rather than the fitter doing anything wrong at the time of fitting.

Firstly, It's impossible to accidentally fit a coil upside down- they come pre-packaged in the inserter tube, so you'd have to pull it out and stuff it back in the tube the wrong way round. Even if you did do that and tried to fit it, the 'wings' wouldn't be able to open, so the whole thing would just come straight back out again with the inserter tube.

The only thing I can think that can have happened is it turned round with uterine contractions / cramping. That may have happened almost immediately or may have happened hours/days/weeks down the line, but without a scan there is no way for the fitter to have known this.

You've been doubly unlucky because I would have expected the threads to be completely drawn up into the uterus if the coil turned round- the notes from your hysteroscopy show that the threads were still visible. If they'd been missing when you had a check up, it would have been obvious something was wrong, it would have led to a scan and that would have picked this up for you sooner.

I would also read the hysteroscopy note a bit differently- when it says 'incorrectly placed' I would take that to mean it was in the wrong position at the time of the hysteroscopy - ie 'sitting incorrectly' or upside down. I wouldn't read that to mean 'incorrectly fitted' which is I think how you and PP have read it.

It's definitely worth feeding back to the family planning clinic, as I fitter I keep a log of my fittings and the outcomes, and it's important to know, but unfortunately not all coil fittings do go 100% to plan. A PP above mentioned cervicogenic shock as an example- again, this is just the body's reaction sometimes to cervical treatments, and doesn't mean the fitter did anything wrong- I've seen it happen on the smoothest of coil insertions.

Hope you do find something else to suit you. I think the learning point isn't in the fitting procedure here, but in the response to your ongoing symptoms after fitting. I personally have a low threshold for coil removal if it's not suiting someone for whatever reason, but I can also understand if it was your last option (ie nothing else is suitable for you) why they might have wanted to try and give it a wee bit longer. Best wishes.

WeDeserveBetter · 08/11/2022 14:47

itsalwayscycling · 08/11/2022 14:17

Hi, sorry you've had such a rough time. I'm a GP who fits coils (day off today - should really be doing my appraisal paperwork which is why I'm on MN instead!)

I honestly think you've been really unlucky rather than the fitter doing anything wrong at the time of fitting.

Firstly, It's impossible to accidentally fit a coil upside down- they come pre-packaged in the inserter tube, so you'd have to pull it out and stuff it back in the tube the wrong way round. Even if you did do that and tried to fit it, the 'wings' wouldn't be able to open, so the whole thing would just come straight back out again with the inserter tube.

The only thing I can think that can have happened is it turned round with uterine contractions / cramping. That may have happened almost immediately or may have happened hours/days/weeks down the line, but without a scan there is no way for the fitter to have known this.

You've been doubly unlucky because I would have expected the threads to be completely drawn up into the uterus if the coil turned round- the notes from your hysteroscopy show that the threads were still visible. If they'd been missing when you had a check up, it would have been obvious something was wrong, it would have led to a scan and that would have picked this up for you sooner.

I would also read the hysteroscopy note a bit differently- when it says 'incorrectly placed' I would take that to mean it was in the wrong position at the time of the hysteroscopy - ie 'sitting incorrectly' or upside down. I wouldn't read that to mean 'incorrectly fitted' which is I think how you and PP have read it.

It's definitely worth feeding back to the family planning clinic, as I fitter I keep a log of my fittings and the outcomes, and it's important to know, but unfortunately not all coil fittings do go 100% to plan. A PP above mentioned cervicogenic shock as an example- again, this is just the body's reaction sometimes to cervical treatments, and doesn't mean the fitter did anything wrong- I've seen it happen on the smoothest of coil insertions.

Hope you do find something else to suit you. I think the learning point isn't in the fitting procedure here, but in the response to your ongoing symptoms after fitting. I personally have a low threshold for coil removal if it's not suiting someone for whatever reason, but I can also understand if it was your last option (ie nothing else is suitable for you) why they might have wanted to try and give it a wee bit longer. Best wishes.

I am also a GP and completely agree with all of this post both in terms of the comments re technical aspects of fitting (just isn't possible to fit upside down) but also about how you might be feeling.

Hope you feel better soon

WeDeserveBetter · 08/11/2022 14:48

My appraisal is also due - avoiding the paperwork!!

itsalwayscycling · 08/11/2022 15:18

WeDeserveBetter · 08/11/2022 14:48

My appraisal is also due - avoiding the paperwork!!

The definition of procrastination- GPs at appraisal time!!

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