Surgeon claiming someone else did my surgery

[Lima1]

This is an odd one and I am not sure whether or not I need to look further into it.
I had mid cycle spotting and changes to my cycle about 2.5 years ago. GP referred me to the colposcopy unit and I had a vaginal ultrasound and hysteroscopy. A female Asian woman (her race is important for what comes later) carried out these tests and she spotted 2 polpys one in my cervix and one in my womb. She pointed them out to me, they looked like little mushrooms. She said they needed to be removed as they have the potential to turn cancerous.
A month later I was booked into hospital to have them removed under general anesthetic. I was reluctant to have a general and I was informed before the procedure that they could do it with a local to which I gladly agreed.
I remember being brought into surgery, I met a female nurse and male anesthetist who left as he wasn't needed and the surgeon. I didn't take much notice of the surgeon but if you asked me after the fact I would have said it was the same woman who did the tests. It was an Asian lady as well but with the mask on I couldn't swear to it and cross racial identification has its difficulties.
I was awake during the procedure, she spoke to me a couple of times, I remember the comments she made.
All was good and I had no spotting for 18/20 months until it resumed earlier this year. I had spotting, much heavier bleeding, periods lasting longer and more painful. Went back to GP and we felt maybe the polyps were back.
Got another appt at the Colposcopy until. Met the same lady as the first time. She was very rude her opening comments were:
" I saw you here two years ago, I recommended you get the coil (she did for heavy periods) but you did nothing about it and are back again. Do you intend on coming here to me every two years".

I was very taken aback, I said I had polyps the last time, no problems after their removal until a few months ago when I developed similar symptoms and myself and GP thought maybe polyps were back.
She said she read the surgical notes and no polyps were removed as none detected during the surgery. I said this was news to me and GP and that we had not been informed of same and both of us were operating under the impression the two polyps had been removed.

She did a vaginal ultrasound and took a biopsy of my cervix, she then sat me down and went through the notes of the surgery. She said a man carried out the surgery, that she couldn't read his notes, that the photos he took of my cervix or womb were not clear but that it was written in the notes that no polyps were recognized.
She was quite rude, kept pushing me to have a coil fitted, made it seem like I was wasting her time there, etc.

Anyway the point is I am 100% sure a woman carried out the surgery and I am 80% sure it was an Asian woman and my impression was it was her. It was definitely a women talking to me during the procedure (I couldn't see as the curtain was up) no man was introduced to me in theatre as doing the operation.
I am now a bit worried if something has gone wrong somewhere. If notes were mixed up or she is covering for herself.
I am considering asking for a copy of my notes.

The local anesthetic made me drowsy so I cant be 100% sure of everything but I can be that sure that it was a woman down there.

Does this sound strange?

I’d contact PALS and get them to help sort this out. Every operating theatre I’ve worked in keeps a theatre book. You write, date, time, patient, procedure, surgeon, assistant, anaesthetist, type of anaesthetic, time out. The books should be kept for years.

What a disgusting attitude she has! How dare she speak to you like that and bully you into a coil. I would make a severe complaint about her. Your doctor will have a copy of all the hospital letters on file. I hope you get to the bottom of this and sock it to them. Sympathy OP: some medical staff are horrendously arrogant, and really need bringing down a notch or two. Why go into a profession to “help” people if you really loathe them and can barely conceal it?

Thanks for all the replies, I will answer the queries:

She didn't do a second hysteroscopy at the last appt only a vaginal ultrasound which wont show up polyps so I don't know if I currently have any or if the two originally spotted are still there.

She agreed that she definitely saw two polyps on the first appt but claimed they could have disappeared by the time the surgery was performed hence not being recognised.

I had a local but it had a significant effect one me, I felt like I couldn't keep my eyes open, my tongue felt swollen and thick, I was slurring my speech and I asked the nurse was this normal. She asked the surgeon who asked me was I ok, I said I felt very sleepy and she told me to nap. That's one of the reasons I know it was a woman and I could hear an accent, she also commented on my heavy bleeding ( I was menstruating at the time of the surgery) during the procedure.

She only backed down on the coil issues as I told her hormonal contraception causes me mental health issues she then recommended ablation which I am considering.

The hysteroscopy was fine, slightly uncomfortable but nothing to worry about. She did a biopsy at the second appt and that was MUCH worse!!

I was awake during the surgery but apart from an odd comment of checking I was ok nothing was said. A biopsy was done according to the notes during the operation and all normal - though I also didn't know that either.

I mentioned Asian in the context of me knowing the person who did the tests was Asian and the person who did the surgery was Asian and I thought it was the same person but cross racial identification isnt always reliable so I cant say for sure it was the same person in the way I might find it easier to recognize a Caucasian.

I will speak to my GP and get a copy of my notes.

Its really scary how notes can get mixed up.

I’ve had a camera down there and it was fine.

I can’t follow your story OP - not that it’s written poorly I just wanted to add that in a clinical setting I don’t think they would switch doctors.

Do a subject access request asap.

Definitely start by requesting your notes and getting a copy from your GP. Surgical notes are filled in by so many people it will confirm who did your surgery, but it sounds like notes have got mixed up. It does happen sadly.

A couple of things.

I had an appointment for my DD once and the whole way through the consultant kept asking me questions that made no sense and were at odds with her condition. We had nearly finished the appointment before she realised she had the wrong file in front of her.

Secondly, my experience relates to fibroids but I had one identified on a scan. Had a general anaesthetic to remove it but they didn’t find any.

Thirdly, I did a DSAR to my GP for my notes. Paid the £40 admin fee. What I got was not a copy of my notes, but a print out of the computer system so purely details of my appointments and a couple of comments written by the GP. I didn’t get a copy of my actual file. In your circumstances it might be worth following up your concerns with Pals in the first instance.

OP,
Did you not receive any documentation post surgery? A surgical report? What was the purpose of the surgery? You went into it believing it was to remove polyps, but no polyps were found during surgery? What diagnostic tests were done prior to surgery? Do you have copies of those? In places with functioning health care, the sequence of events you describe is difficult to comprehend. How can you go into surgery not knowing who will perform the operation and the specific aims of the operation and to possess records of your treatment? It is so dysfunctional.

"Thirdly, I did a DSAR to my GP for my notes. Paid the £40 admin fee. What I got was not a copy of my notes, but a print out of the computer system so purely details of my appointments and a couple of comments written by the GP. I didn’t get a copy of my actual file."

That may well be your actual file - GP notes are insanely short by hospital medicine standards. I have no idea how GPs keep track of anything! (clearly they do, but I wouldn't be able to).

OP, if the surgery was only two years ago, you should have been given a discharge letter - did that mention polyp removal? Some discharge letters are terrible, but even the really bad ones would usually mention if they had sent a polyp for histology.

Yes very odd, mix ups do happen, I went to the chemist recently to pick up a prescription, I was handed a prescription that I had no clue about & refused to take it, I rang GP, spoke to prescriptions clerk, who was very blunt spoke to me like I was stupid, said the GP had discussed it with me etc. I have a disability that affects my memory, but I knew without any doubt I had never had that conversation with my GP. GP called, apologies tablets weren’t for me a mix up with patients records etc. So definitely get to the bottom of it.

How can you go into surgery not knowing who will perform the operation and the specific aims of the operation and to possess records of your treatment? It is so dysfunctional

Welcome to the NHS. It's like doctors don't have the time to fully explain things, and you're whizzed in and out and expected to be grateful.

@AKissAndASmile

How can you go into surgery not knowing who will perform the operation and the specific aims of the operation and to possess records of your treatment? It is so dysfunctional

Welcome to the NHS. It's like doctors don't have the time to fully explain things, and you're whizzed in and out and expected to be grateful.

I wonder if people in the UK understand that health care in most of the rest of the developed world is nothing like that? I can't imagine not being in possession of medical reports or going into an operation with zero idea of its purpose or without having chosen the surgeon. I am so grateful I am not anywhere near the NHS.

The local anesthetic made me drowsy so I cant be 100% sure of everything

Did they give you sedation?

@Lima1 Did the surgeon who did your investigations initially introduce themselves to you?

Did the person who removed the polyp introduce themselves?

This is basic good manners, let alone anything to do with it being medical.

I would follow up closely. I made a complaint once about the wrong drug being given to DD and had a doctor, who I'd never met, claim that he'd had a conversation with me and had gone through DD's notes. His lie was exposed as it was recorded elsewhere that DD's notes were missing (which led to the mistake) but they didn't tell me that at the time. I pushed it further and then the Dr withdrew his statement and I was told no further action could be taken as the Dr, nurse and other staff present no longer worked at the Trust.

Basically sometimes people close ranks and cover things up so trust your instincts on this one and get to the bottom of what's really happened.

@BovaryX it's not how it is in my experience, but I have had private care. However, I'd expect those drs to behave with the same courtesy AND for patients to ask questions before and after procedures.

You don't need to see your notes at this point imo. Make a complaint detailing your concerns and questions.

An investigating officer will review the notes and ask the staff involved questions and then you'll get a response.

If you're not happy with that you can escalate.

Without being rude unless you're a medic of some sort the notes won't be clear

@Roselilly36 if a pharmacist makes an error and dispenses the wrong drugs they can be struck off.

It ought to be no different for a clerk at the GP's.

Can you contact PALS at the hospital as something isn't right here.

Possibly the op was written up in the wrong notes.

I will speak to my GP and get a copy of my notes

Arrgh. You know how it's difficult to get a GP appointment? Well, one big reason for that is that GPs end up doing being dumped with loads of admin work that is nothing to do with them.

Your GP will not have your operation notes. Your GP will not have your hospital notes. Your GP may well not have a discharge summary, or, if s/he does, it will be too vague to solve the mystery. Speaking to your GP is a waste of your time, a waste of your GP's time, and will take up an appointment that someone else really needs.

Why are you going to ask your GP, when it is the hospital that you have an issue with? Ask the frigging hospital, which created the problem in the first place, and not your GP.

She didn't do a second hysteroscopy at the last appt only a vaginal ultrasound which wont show up polyps

Who said that?
A vaginal ultrasound shows everything- almost what you had for breakfast! I've had loads of these looking at my uterine lining so can assure you a polyp would be very obvious.

You said you had a 'local'.

Do you mean an injection into your cervix- which you would know about- or an injection as IV which was sedation?

There is no way that an injection in your cervix would give the effects you mention.

My understanding was that the person who did the tests and the person who did the surgery were the same person. Yes they did introduce themselves but honestly I was so nervous about the procedure not if my life depended on it could I remember the name. Again being a foreign name it wouldn't stick with me anyway the same way surnames I recognize would.

I was really surprised when she starting referring to the surgeon as "he" as I had believed it was her who had done it. I am sorry I didn't question her at the time but she had really thrown and upset me about the coil issue and was making me seem like I was a hypochondriac for coming back in. I started to question myself. It was only on the way home when I started really thinking back to the surgery that I knew it was a woman and I suspect it was her.
No one commented during the surgery that no polyps could be found or that a biopsy was being taken nor was I told afterwards.

In relation to a discharge letter, I understand normally that my GP should get a letter and when I told her my GP wasn't aware no polyps were removed she muttered something about a breakdown in communication.
Its all making me really question if my notes were mixed up.

Thanks for the information in relation to the theatre logbook, I will request that be checked also.

I am asking my GP to check what letter he received after the op and what it said.

Jingling - the vaginal ultrasound didn't find the polyps at the first apt, she did it and said everything looked fine but did a hysteroscopy immediately afterwards and found the polyps.

Yes the local was in my cervix - I felt the sharp pricks of the needle and she warned me just in advance of doing it.

I appreciate normally people don't get that effect, when I told the nurse about how I was feeling she said it to the surgeon who asked was I ok but then told me to go for a nap. She was dismissive and said I was tired from the early morning and my vitals were fine but I was struggling to keep my eyelids open, I felt sedated but it was definitely just a local as she told me.
I am sensitive to medication, I cant take strong painkillers as they have such an effect on me.

@Lima1 It sounds like a huge lack of communication a ll round.

For a start they ought to have told you what they did during the procedure as they were doing it - eg 'We're just removing this polyp now and will do the 2nd one soon.' OR '"we can't see a polyp so it may have gone."

And afterwards they ought to have spoken to you before you went home and updated you.

You may have had cervical shock rather than the effects of the local- cervical shock is when your body reacts and starts to go into shock, causing weakness, sweating and or fainting, low BP and heart rate.

The point is- if you HAD polyps where are they? Do you still have them?

This has to be in your notes.