My sister had a small lump removed and is now paralized down her right arm!!!!!

[Tas1]

She went in to have a small lump removed from her neck, was only meant to be in hospital for a couple of hours.
The surgeon cut a nerve in her neck while taking out the lump and now she cannot move her right arm. She has been moved to a specialist hospital and is due to have another operation tomorrow to have a nerve from her leg put into her neck.
They have told her that it could take up to 3 yrs to get full function back if at all!!!

So what should have been a couple of hours day case has now turned into a 2 week nightmare which could go on for another 2-3 yrs.

Oh poor dear sister!! Hope she gets better soon.

That's really really terrible! I'm sure you are doing this, but do demand 2nd opinions and if possible ask to speak with the surgeons before next operation to be made aware of all possible complications. (Remember some surgeons do have differing opinions about the best way forward/ next step to take). Get copies of all neccessary paperwork, and if you can bear it speak to the surgeon who made the mistake. It might all help should there be problems in the future. Fingers crossed it goes well.

What bad luck. The body is such a complex thing and I think no one would ever have anything done if for a moment they thought any of the potentially serious complications could possibly happen to them!

Hey, hang on, please don't assume that a medical mistake has been made, every doctor knows exactly how complicated the neck is, there are arteries, veins and nerves going all over the place. Neck surgeons know even better and they will always explain the possible problems that can arise, the difficulty is that the patient ignores or forgets these comments and that there is a risk to all surgery, even minor surgery. Almost certainly the nerve involved was in an aberrant position or that the lump was around the nerve or was indeed part of the nerve. The surgeon will subsequently have been distraught and oddly enough the other medical and nursing staff will be equally upset, NOT because of any guilt or negligence but because that's why they went into medicine. Unfortunately aggrieved patients see that as an admission that negligence occurred and that by their behaviour the doctors are trying to hide something, the sooner lay people, and indeed a lot of mumsnetters realise this and that medicine is not 100% guaranteed the better.

In the future, she will need specialist surgey, nursing, support and physio and if anyone goes wading in demanding second opinions and behaving as some suggest you will seriously damage the relationship your sister will need. This is a tragic event that shows how seemingly simple operations can have huge consequences, but don't despair, it's very early days yet